Uber Driver Charged With Raping Female Passenger: Cops

An Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting a female passenger on her way home from a chic Southern California beach town has been charged with rape.

Angel Sanchez, 36, was arrested March 30, one day after he was accused of raping the victim on the street near her Santa Ana home.

Read: Safety Concerns as Uber Drivers Text, Browse the Internet While Driving

Prosecutors say the woman had been at a gathering with colleagues when one of them requested an Uber to take her home.

At the time of the crime, defendant Angel Sanchez was a driver for Uber and is accused of picking up the victim in a 2016 gray Toyota Sienna, according to the Orange County DA's office.

The woman ran from the minivan and immediately called 911 following the assault, prosecutors said.

Sanchez was charged April 26 with one felony count of rape of an intoxicated victim. 

Sanchez is due back in court May 1 for arraignment.

Uber's corporate office responded to the incident in a statement:

"Nobody should go through what this rider reported to police. We worked with law enforcement on the investigation and will continue to work with authorities," a spokesperson said.

Watch: Judge: Man Must Refrain from Sex Until Marriage for Rape of 14-Year-Old Girl

The company has issued similar statements before as other cases of the ride share app's drivers allegedly raping passengers have arisen in recent months.

Similar accusations have been made against Uber drivers in the past. 

Watch: H&M Security Guard Accused of Using Position to Kidnap or Rape at Least 3 Women: Cops