THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — A rideshare driver was arrested on rape and kidnapping charges after he sexually assaulted an intoxicated female passenger near the Nisqually River, according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to reports of a weapons violation near Sixth Avenue Southeast and Old Pacific Highway on Saturday, June 15.
A deputy stopped a driver fleeing from the scene and discovered the driver had been injured.
Detectives determined the rideshare driver fleeing the scene had previously been transporting an intoxicated female passenger. The passenger’s father discovered the driver sexually assaulting her near a fishing spot off of Sixth Avenue Southeast, the sheriff's office said.
Deputies said sometime during the confrontation, gunshots were fired, but the driver was not hit.
The rideshare driver was treated at the hospital for injuries sustained in the incident and then arrested for second-degree rape and first-degree kidnapping. KING 5 does not name suspects until they are officially charged in court.
The sheriff's office did not immediately provide information on what rideshare company the driver was working for.
Anyone with information about the incident – or any similar incidents – is asked to call 360-704-2740 or email detectives@co.thurston.wa.us
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Additional resources are available on the Washington State Department of Health's website.