A former Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting a female UC Riverside student in his vehicle must stand trial on multiple felony charges, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Jamaal Andrew Lee, 41, of Moreno Valley was arrested in May following an investigation by the UCR and Riverside Police Departments.
Evidence presented during a preliminary hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice was sufficient to warrant a trial on charges of false imprisonment, assault with intent to commit rape and forced oral copulation, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Peter Spinetta determined.
He scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Oct. 24 and did not change Lee's bond requirement. The defendant has been released on a $55,000 bail.
The alleged assault occurred in the predawn hours of May 14. According to police, Lee responded to a ride request via Uber at an unspecified location in east Riverside.
The defendant retrieved the student, whose name was not released, and drove her to an apartment complex at 1020 Linden St. on the north edge of campus, where he held her against her will and assaulted her in his car, investigators alleged.
The woman was ultimately let out of the car and later called 911, according to police.
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Lee was not identified until almost a week afterward, when a warrant was issued for his arrest, records showed. He posted bail immediately after being taken into custody.
The defendant has no documented prior felony convictions.
