Female Uber passengers are being warned about taking late night trips without weapons for self-defence after an Edmonton woman was allegedly kidnapped and narrowly avoided being sexually assaulted.
The allegations were posted on Facebook on the afternoon of Oct. 19, saying that the crime had occurred earlier that morning. The post alleged that the Uber driver was named Jasdev Singh.
The post told the story of the woman, who was allegedly taken behind the Ikea of Edmonton South Common instead of being taken to her location after the Uber driver locked the doors. The driver locked the doors and is alleged to have tried to sexually assault her.
Thinking quickly on her feet, the woman contacted her boyfriend, who sped quickly to her location. Despite successfully rescuing his girlfriend from the car, the couple allegedly came under fire from the driver who shot at them.
Edmonton Crime Report, a Facebook page that highlights local crime, shared the story which prompted many locals to offer their two cents.
“Just like in India, they’re starting to do it here,” reads one post.
The over 400 commenters on the Facebook post had differing opinions on what might have happened at the scene.
Some said that the story was simply to spread misinformation and hate towards Indian people. Whereas others said that they believed the story 100%.
Some commenters said that similar situations have happened in Edmonton, in other cities, and to some of their friends.
The Edmonton Police confirmed with True North that they are investigating a sexual assault that occurred in the area near Ikea of Edmonton South Common on Saturday Oct. 19, 2024.
The police were unable to provide any more details as the incident remains under investigation.
True North reached out to Uber for comment but received no reply.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.