A 45-year-old rideshare driver was arrested Thursday in Hialeah after a 17-year-old passenger told police he forcibly kissed her, touched her body, and tried to put his hand inside her pants during a ride home. Vicente Fermin Rodriguez Hernandez was booked on a charge of lewd and lascivious touching of a minor following the alleged encounter.
According to the arrest report detailed by NBC 6 South Florida, the teen had requested a rideshare and was picked up by Rodriguez Hernandez. Once he parked, he allegedly got into the rear seat beside her, complimented her by calling her “guapa,” and repeatedly asked for a hug, which she agreed to in order to appease him, the report said.
Teen Says She Repeatedly Said No
From there, the account grows more disturbing. Rodriguez Hernandez allegedly forcibly kissed the teen on the mouth without her consent, then touched her body and tried to put his hand inside her pants, per the same report. The teen grabbed his hand and told him “no” repeatedly, but he allegedly rubbed her private area over her pants and again tried to reach inside her pants.
Rodriguez Hernandez then drove the teen to her home, the report states, but once there he allegedly forcibly kissed her again before giving her his phone number. He later texted her that he “liked their kisses,” according to the arrest report, and she responded that she was not seeking a relationship.
Driver Invoked Right To Remain Silent
Rodriguez Hernandez was taken into custody and booked into jail, authorities said, after invoking his right to remain silent. The arrest report listed his residence as California. Attorney information for him was not available.
The specific statute cited in connection with the case, Florida law on lewd or lascivious conduct, defines the offense as intentionally touching a person under 16 in a lewd or lascivious manner or soliciting that person to commit such an act, and states that an offender 18 or older who commits the conduct faces a second-degree felony. The law also specifies that neither a victim's lack of chastity nor a victim's consent is a defense to the crimes it covers. The available reporting does not explain how that statute, which addresses victims under 16, applies to this case involving a 17-year-old, and that distinction remains unresolved.
The arrest comes amid other recent allegations involving rideshare drivers in the area. Local 10 separately reported on a 45-year-old rideshare driver facing a felony charge for allegedly kissing and inappropriately touching a 17-year-old rider in Hialeah, and NBC 6 South Florida has reported in a separate case that a different rideshare driver was accused of sexually battering a woman who had previously been his passenger in Hialeah, according to a report carried on the outlet's video platform.
