Uber driver arrested in sexual assault of Santa Ana woman

An Uber driver was arrested this week after confessing to sexually assaulting a woman he gave a ride to in the summer of 2018, Santa Ana police said.

A woman had hailed an Uber to go from the Tustin Police Department to her home in Santa Ana. The 25-year-old woman had been released from police custody after being involved in a DUI-related crash, Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said.

Police said that the Uber driver was Amir Attia, 45, of Tustin.

“Somewhere along the way, Attia stopped and sexually assaulted the victim,” Bertagna said on Thursday, Jan. 9.

The woman reported the assault right after it happened to Santa Ana police, Bertagna said, and investigators collected DNA evidence from her. Detectives later acquired DNA samples from the driver that confirmed he assaulted the woman, but that process took time, police said.

When police talked to him this week, Attia confessed to sexually assaulting the woman and he was arrested on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

He was booked into jail and being held in lieu of $150,000, police said.

Attia has a previous conviction for sexual battery from 1993, authorities said.

Anyone with information about this case was asked to contact Cpl. Maria Lopez at 714-245-8542 or at mlopez15@santa-ana.org. Anonymous tips can be make to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.