KC man is accused of raping woman in Overland Park after claiming to be Uber driver

A 42-year-old man who claimed to be an Uber driver has been charged with kidnapping and raping a woman in Overland Park after transporting her from downtown Kansas City.

Dereje Gebremariam of Kansas City picked up the woman and a male friend at the Power & Light District on Aug. 7, according to court documents.

The couple thought he was an Uber driver, but a company spokeswoman said Thursday that he was not an Uber driver.

The couple were heading back to a hotel in Overland Park. On the way, the man asked the driver to stop because he needed to use the bathroom.

When the man stepped out of the vehicle, he said, the driver drove off with the woman still in the vehicle.

The man called police. He also reported that his phone and a credit card were left in the vehicle.

According to court documents:

The driver later dropped off the woman at the hotel, and she later identified Gebremariam in a photo lineup.

He is now charged in Johnson County District Court with rape, aggravated kidnapping and theft.

The rape occurred when the victim was “incapable of giving consent because of the effect of alcoholic liquor.”

Several days later, Kansas City and Overland Park police served a search warrant at Gebremariam’s apartment and found cell phones and a credit card belonging to the woman and her male friend.

As a result of that search, he is charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with receiving stolen property.

Gebremariam made his first court appearance on the Johnson County charges Thursday afternoon. He is being held on a $500,000 bond.

This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 2:26 PM with the headline "KC man is accused of raping woman in Overland Park after claiming to be Uber driver."