Man posed as a woman’s Uber driver and raped her in an SUV in South Beach, police say

MIAMI BEACH, Florida. – A man turned himself in to Miami Beach police headquarters Thursday after detectives accused him of posing as an Uber driver in February, picking up a woman from a South Beach nightclub and then raping her in the back seat of his car.

Claudel Lesperance, 38, of northwest Miami-Dade, is charged with sexual abuse of a physically helpless victim and kidnapping.

According to a police report, the attack occurred in the early hours of February 9.

Miami Beach police said the victim was partying with friends at the Baroom Club (1342 Washington Avenue) and after four drinks she became ill, so she requested an Uber ride to her apartment near Collins Avenue and 25th Street.

She was supposed to be picked up in a Toyota C-HR. Instead, police said, Lesperance came to pick her up in a Honda CR-V.

According to police, Lesperance fist-bumped the valet attendant, who later told investigators he found his behavior “odd,” asked if the club was busy, and mentioned that he was an Uber driver. The suspect’s occupation is listed in the police report as “unemployed.”

Police said surveillance video captured the victim staggering out of the club shortly before 2 a.m. At that point, authorities said, Lesperance was “fixated on her.”

The police report states that the victim staggered to Lesperance’s vehicle. He told her he was her Uber driver, police said.

According to the report, when the woman asked for confirmation, Lesperance gave him her phone, which he then used to cancel her actual Uber ride.

He then “told the victim that he worked for the club and would be the driver to take her to her desired destination,” police wrote.

According to police, the woman kept passing out, vomiting in the vehicle, and eventually woke up when the car stopped and Lesperance was masturbating next to her in the back seat.

The report states that as the victim was being screened, Lesperance got dressed, got in the front seat and drove away.

According to police, she vomited and lost consciousness again. She was then awakened by Lesperance, who raped her in the back seat.

The woman said she screamed and fought back, but Lesperance covered her mouth and overpowered her, the report said.

According to police, he only stopped when she vomited in his hand. He then verbally abused her, took her wallet and $20 and ordered her to pack her things and get out of his car.

Authorities said she ran away and called a friend who offered her an Uber ride home.

The report said the victim was “still in shock and exhausted,” fell asleep in her room and told staff in her building about the incident later that morning.

They called police, and the victim later gave investigators clothing and a menstrual pad as evidence, the report said.

On February 13, police were able to track down the CR-V and Lesperance using license plate readers and other investigative data, they say.

Police said he identified himself on video footage and described himself as a “private driver.” He made several contradictory statements before exercising his right to an attorney. Authorities released him.

They obtained search warrants for his vehicle and his cell phone location data, which later matched the victim’s GPS data, the report said.

Then, on Tuesday, investigators received a crucial piece of evidence from the Miami-Dade Police Department’s crime lab, the report said: Lesperance’s DNA was found on the menstrual pad.

This prompted him to turn himself in to Miami Beach police on Thursday along with his lawyer, police said.

Lesperance, a Haitian national who lives in the West Little River area, was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bail listed as “to be determined” in Miami-Dade jail records.

Local 10 News is waiting for a response from Miami Beach police on whether investigators suspect Lesperance is targeting additional victims.

Passengers can find safety tips on Uber’s website.