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After years of eluding justice, a man dubbed the “Rideshare Rapist” is now set to spend his life in prison. He was convicted for a series of chilling abductions and sexual assaults in San Francisco.
Orlando Vilchez Lazo, aged 44, faced conviction on 11 felony charges, which included four counts of rape by force or fear and kidnapping with the intent to commit rape, as announced by District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. Vilchez Lazo preyed on women in their early 20s, targeting them as they waited for rides outside nightclubs in San Francisco’s lively SoMa and Mission areas.
The conviction means Vilchez Lazo could receive an overwhelming sentence of 100 years to life behind bars, ensuring he remains imprisoned for the remainder of his life.
The series of horrific crimes initiated in 2013 when Vilchez Lazo picked up a young woman in the Mission District, drove her to a secluded industrial zone, and assaulted her. Though the case went unsolved for years, the victim’s bravery in undergoing a forensic exam provided crucial DNA evidence that eventually led to his capture.
Vilchez Lazo re-emerged in 2018, claiming three additional victims from February to June that year. In one particularly distressing episode, he deceived a woman’s friend into exiting the vehicle before quickly driving away with the victim.
“This can be easy or this can be violent,” the sicko told one victim as he held a metal object to her throat, according to prosecutors.
Another victim thought she was safe when Vilchez Lazo pulled up to Howard and Second streets shouting “Uber, Uber.” Instead, she was driven to a secluded spot and attacked with a sharp object. In a desperate bid for survival, the woman managed to escape — despite the brute dragging her back in multiple times — and ran through the streets until she found a resident to help her.
The jig was finally up in July 2018 when a dedicated task force tracked Vilchez Lazo down in San Mateo County.
The trial was plagued by years of delays and desperate attempts by the defense to toss out DNA evidence.
“Let this conviction serve as a reminder to those who think they can outrun justice,” DA Jenkins said in a statement.