Here's how the accused 'Rideshare Rapist' may have beaten the system to become a driver
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco police arrested 37-year-old Orlando Vilchez Lazo last week and say DNA evidence links him to four rapes dating back five years.
They say he posed as a rideshare driver who picked up women outside bars and clubs and then raped them
Ridesharing company Lyft says Lazo is a former driver and it's investigating how he passed its security checks. There's a driving record check. It looks at any moving violations and DUI arrests.
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The background check looks for a criminal record including sexual offenses. You have to have a valid drivers license and insurance on a car that's registered.
Lyft says its drivers "must be eligible to work in the U.S." That means being a citizen, having a green card, work visa or a student visa, and a social security number.which means you have to be a legal U.S. resident and be able to provide documents.
But Lyft says Lazo "fraudulently represented himself."
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There's another reason why he passed the background checks.
Alex Bastian is a spokesman for the San Francisco District Attorneys office. "This defendant as far as I can tell has no criminal history."
One footnote: Neither Lyft nor Uber requires drivers to get finger printed.
The State Public Utilities Commission sided with the ride sharing companies in its ruling last Fall that it was unnecessary.
