Denver Lyft driver convicted of 30 crimes, including kidnapping, sexual assault

A jury convicted a Denver Lyft driver on 30 charges, including kidnapping and sexual assault, on Thursday.

John Edgar Pastor-Mendoza, 43, was convicted of kidnapping 12 women between 2018 and 2022, sexually assaulting two and attempting to sexually assault seven others, according to the Denver District Attorney’s office. He originally faced 41 felony charges, including 10 counts of kidnapping, 12 counts of sexual assault, 18 counts of attempted sexual assault and one count of robbery.

Police said Pastor-Mendoza had a pattern of picking up women who were intoxicated and had sought safe rides home, posing as the driver assigned to their ride request. Some reported they had passed out and woke up in an unfamiliar place, missing property such as their underwear and cell phones, and that an unfamiliar man was touching them. At least two women woke up in the back of a ride-share vehicle with a man on top of them and sustained injuries from the assaults.

DNA linked the assaults to the same man, and nightclub employees helped identify Pastor-Mendoza. A search of his home found missing property belonging to the victims.

Denver District Attorney Beth McCann said in a news release that she was pleased with the verdict, and thanked the jury and those who worked on the case.

“Most of all, however, I want to acknowledge Mr. Pastor-Mendoza’s victims, whose courage in coming forward and testifying at trial resulted in today’s outcome,” she said.

Pastor-Mendoza will face sentencing on March 7. He had no criminal history before the assaults.

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