Cops: Lyft driver raped woman he picked up from bar near UCF

Orlando police say there could be other victims

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando police arrested a Lyft driver on Thursday who they said raped a woman whom he picked up from a bar near the University of Central Florida, and police believe there may be more victims.

Peter Roger Solomon, 49, has been charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and sexual battery in the July incident.

Police said Solomon picked up a woman from Knight's Pub on North Alafaya Trail July 1 at 10:15 p.m. drove her to a home, and ordered her out of the car and into the home, where he sexually battered her and threatened her if she tried to escape.

Solomon then drove the woman to the area of Semoran Boulevard and Colonial Drive at 12:30 a.m. on July 2 and ordered her out of the car, according to the report.

After an investigation led police to Solomon, police announced his arrest on Thursday.

"I was in shock," said UCF student Kamila Hernandez. "I was like, 'Wow I use this service myself all the time.'"

Solomon appeared before a judge from jail Thursday morning answering to the charges.

His family members didn't answer their door when News 6 went to ask what they thought about the allegations against him.

On his Facebook page, Solomon lists himself as "self employed," and he's seen bragging about pictures of his third grandchild.

Noselyn Valdes said she still plans on using ride-sharing services, like Lyft, because she said she doesn't blame the company.

"The blame is on the man who decided it was okay to rape a girl that night," she said. "I think 100 percent he should suffer the consequences of that."

Lyft released a statement to News 6 Thursday afternoon, saying, "We have a strict zero-tolerance policy for any type of violent behavior, abuse or harassment and as soon as we learned about this incident, we permanently banned the driver from accessing the Lyft platform. We are working with law enforcement to support their investigation."

Police said they believe it's possible there are other victims. Those with information on other cases can contact the Orlando Police Department.


About the Author:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.