A woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver is suing the suspect and Lyft.
Jason Lamont Fenwick, 51, of Lompoc was arrested in November. Investigators said he drove a woman to her Nipomo home after she requested a Lyft because she was too drunk to drive. The victim reportedly told San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s officials that Fenwick helped her inside, she passed out, and Fenwick sexually assaulted her.
A lawsuit filed by the alleged victim, identified only as “Jane Doe,” claims that she woke up the next morning bruised, naked and bleeding. According to the lawsuit, the entire assault lasted about 30 minutes and was captured on a home surveillance video system.
During those 30 minutes, the lawsuit claims Fenwick snooped around the house, took several cell phone pictures of himself with the unconscious victim, and before leaving, gave himself a $20 tip through the Lyft app on her phone.
Fenwick has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault during the commission of a burglary, oral copulation of an intoxicated person, sexual penetration by a foreign object, burglary, and unlawful use of a concealed recording device. He remains in San Luis Obispo County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.
The victim is suing for monetary damages as well as for Lyft to take action to better train and discipline drivers in regards to issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault and to increase safety measures, including mandatory cameras in each vehicle, allowing female customers to select female drivers, and the installation of a panic button on the Lyft mobile app.
