BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Prosecutors allege a man with ties to Lynn and Rhode Island posed as an Uber driver, picked up a woman from a Boston nightclub, and took her to a Rhode Island home where he sexually assaulted her, The Boston Globe reports.
Alvin Campbell Jr. was charged with kidnapping and rape. The Globe reports Campbell was held on $250,000 cash bail after an appearance in Boston Municipal Court Thursday—and that DNA evidence has tied him to two other Suffolk County rapes from 2016 and 2017 and another sexual assault in Medford, for which he is now being investigated.
WBZ-TV reports that Campbell is the brother of Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell.
“I am heartbroken, saddened and devastated by this news," Councilor Campbell said in a statement released to WBZ-TV. "I will continue to pray for the victim who had the courage to come forward and I want her to get all of the supports, services, and protections she is entitled to. I will also pray for my brother. I’m trusting that the judicial process will ensure that justice is served."
It's the third high-profile case of a victim being kidnapped and sexually assaulted after leaving a Boston nightclub last year. In February, Louis Coleman was arrested in the murder of Jassy Correia, who prosecutors say Coleman kidnapped from a Boston nightclub. Weeks before, Victor Pena was arrested after prosecutors said he kidnapped a woman outside of a Boston bar, held her hostage in his apartment for several days, and repeatedly raped her.
"This is becoming too common of a theme," Mayor Marty Walsh told WBZ NewsRadio's Mike Macklin. "A young person going out to have a night for themselves or with their friends, this is not how their night should end ... my heart goes out to the victim here. I can't imagine what she's experiencing and gone through, and I want her to know we're thinking and praying for her."
Walsh said the alleged attack points out the need for ride share vehicles to carry better signage, so passengers can more easily recognize legitimate ride share vehicles—and avoid being duped by someone trying to prey on them.
"Uber is a car on the street, and there is a small decal there, some of them have something lit up," Walsh said. "We have to do something more drastic."
This week, Uber launched a new "pin code" safety feature, meant to ensure that riders get into the correct vehicle.
(Photo: Getty Images)
WBZ NewsRadio's Mike Macklin reports
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App