Authorities in Washington say a driver in the Seattle area has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman earlier this year and is facing additional allegations from behind bars.
According to Fox News, Ghassan Shakir was arrested in Bellevue last week after police spotted his vehicle. He was wanted in connection with an alleged assault last month in nearby SeaTac.
In that case, the alleged victim claims Shakir picked her up at a casino as she walked back to her hotel with another woman. After arriving at the destination, the woman alleges that he asked to use the restroom and forcibly raped her after the other woman passed out on the bed.
Following his arrest, he was charged with one count of rape in the second degree on Monday. He was further charged with multiple counts connected to an earlier alleged attack.
His initial bail of $750,000 jumped to $2 million in light of the new charges, including kidnapping in the first degree with sexual motivation and indecent liberties. Police believe that incident occurred in Bellevue on January 20.
The alleged victim in that incident reportedly claimed she was visiting the area and fell asleep in the backseat of a car being driven by the suspect. She reportedly told investigators she awoke to find herself handcuffed and being groped by Shakir, claiming she was able to fight him off until he agreed to let her go.
Prosecutors believe he was also the assailat in a string of assaults as a driver for both Lyft and Uber over the past five years, as the Seattle Times reported.
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