A Long Island family is taking on Uber after they say a routine ride to Bushwick turned into a nightmare for their 16‑year‑old daughter, who was allegedly raped after an Uber driver dropped her off without checking her age.
Prosecutors have charged 26‑year‑old Ralfy Figueroa with first‑degree rape, and court papers state he is being held at Rikers Island on $100,000 bail.
Family Sues Uber, Citing Driver’s Failure to Check Age
In a civil lawsuit, the teen’s family argues that the ride should never have happened in the first place. They claim the Uber driver transported the underage girl without asking for identification or confirming her age, then dropped her in Bushwick, where she later met up with a man she had connected with on Snapchat.
According to the criminal complaint and the family’s attorney, the suspect paid $35 for the Uber ride and offered the girl money for sex. He then allegedly forced her to continue until she vomited, recorded the assault on video, and afterward requested a second Uber to take her home, only to cancel that ride, as reported by New York Post.
What Uber Says About Underage Riders
The lawsuit leans heavily on Uber’s own rules. The company’s community guidelines state that riders must be at least 18 to hold an account and that adults are not supposed to request rides for unaccompanied minors. Drivers are told they can refuse pickup if someone appears underage and are encouraged to report any concerns to the company, according to Uber.
Uber’s safety materials also note that drivers are allowed to submit dashcam or other recordings to the company for review, a detail the family’s legal team points to as part of how the platform controls and monitors rides.
Criminal Case, Past Plea Deal Add Legal Heat
Figueroa has pleaded not guilty to the first‑degree rape charge, according to court filings the family attached to their civil lawsuit. Those filings also say he had previously been diverted into a drug‑treatment plea arrangement, a deal the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor may now seek to revoke.
The family’s attorneys highlight that possible revocation in their civil complaint, arguing it underscores the stakes of the criminal case and the broader questions about supervision and accountability, as reported by New York Post.
Mother Says Teen Is in Intensive Mental‑Health Care
The girl’s mother, in court filings, says the attack left her daughter with serious physical injuries and lasting emotional trauma. The teen is now receiving treatment at an out‑of‑state mental‑health facility, according to the family’s legal papers.
The civil suit asks a judge to hold Uber responsible for allowing an underage rider to be transported and left alone with an adult, and it presses a larger issue that many parents quietly worry about: how, if at all, ride‑hail platforms and their drivers are verifying who is actually getting into the back seat.
