Delaware man pretends to be a driver and rapes woman with knife, police say

Roberto Rodriguez, 41, faces charges of first-degree rape, third-degree unlawful sexual contact and possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a crime, the Department of Justice said. Newark police.

The 21-year-old woman called 911 early Saturday morning to report the assault, police said.

She said that she was walking down a street near the University of Delaware when the driver boarded it in a van.

She had not called for a ride, police said. He told her that he was driving for a carpool service and offered him a ride.

She got in the car and the two men drove for a while until the driver at the station, police said.

He pulled out a knife and ordered him to perform a sexual act, the police said. Once the act finished, he continued to drive.

The woman was finally able to escape the vehicle, the police said. She went to a neighboring residence where she called 911.

L & # 39; investigation

Police in Newark said they followed the suspect through his vehicle, a silver four-door GMC pickup truck with an extended cab and a toolbox behind the cab.

The police made public photos of the vehicle allegedly used during the attack. Advice led the police to a vehicle parked in a residence in Newark, where they started surveillance.

The police stated that they determined that the registered owner of the vehicle matched the description of the suspect. They arrested him while he was leaving the residence and found a knife in his possession.