Woman says she was raped after getting into a car she thought she had booked

BOSTON (AP) — A man has been charged with raping a woman who thought he was the driver she requested after she left a Boston nightclub.

The woman told police she left the nightclub early Saturday and got into the car, thinking it was an Uber she had requested for the ride home. But after she got in, the driver drove behind some buildings, put a T-shirt over the back window and then raped her, a police report said.

“This is a frightening incident involving a woman who entered a vehicle with the full knowledge that she would be taken home safely, and a driver who took advantage of the victim and the situation,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden press release Wednesday.

The driver then drove the woman around before dropping her off near her home, police said.

Investigators said they used video surveillance and the woman’s descriptions to identify the car.

The driver, identified as Qabel Najeeb, 29, of Worcester, was arrested Sunday and charged with rape. He pleaded not guilty in City Court on Monday and his bond was set at $10,000. He was scheduled to return to court on November 15.

The Associated Press emailed his attorney seeking comment. A phone number for Najeeb could not be found.

Uber told The Boston Globe that Najeeb was not a driver for the ride-booking service.