WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A former driver for ride-share service Lyft was in Luzerne County District Court on Tuesday to face charges that he sexually assaulted a male he picked up in August.
39-year-old Edwin Valentin Perez from the Hazleton area insists he did nothing wrong. The alleged victim says he wants justice.
This is the first time that the accused, Valentin Perez, and the alleged victim came face-to-face since the alleged assault, and at one point, they were only feet away from each other.
Valentin Perez walks into Luzerne County Central Court Tuesday morning for a preliminary hearing to answer to charges that he sexually assaulted a man he picked up in mid-August while driving for ride-share service, Lyft.
The victim says Valentin Perez picked him up in Nanticoke for a ride to Plymouth. During that ride, Valentin Perez allegedly used an inhalant-type substance to incapacitate him and then sexually assaulted him.
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"I didn't expect any of this to happen at all. I didn't ask for it," the alleged victim said.
"When you saw Mr. Perez for the first time accused of this crime, what was going through your mind when you saw him?" 28/22 News Andy Mehalshick asked. "I was getting kind of nervous but I was not worrying about it too much because I didn't do anything. I didn't ask for any of this," the alleged victim replied.
Valentin Perez waived the charges onto Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas for possible trial.
His defense lawyer tells 28/22 News he will fight the charges.
"Your client maintains his innocence? Do you have questions about what you're seeing so far? Can you elaborate at all?" Mehalshick asked. "Well yes, he maintains his innocence. Apparently, there's a misunderstanding here and we are going to do our best to get to the bottom of it," Defense Attorney Patrick Rogan stated.
This is not the first time Valentin Perez has had a problem with a driving company.
A passenger filed a summary complaint of harassment against Valentin Perez last May when he drove for ride share service, Uber.
A spokesperson for Uber told the I-Team back in August that Perez was banned for driving for Uber in May, but gave no explanation as to why he was banned.
