Lyft driver drugged in Alpharetta restaurant before waking up in hotel after rape, police say

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A man who took a rideshare last month has been arrested after police say he drugged, kidnapped and raped his driver.

Officers with the Alpharetta Department of Public Safety say a woman reported to them that she was driving for Lyft on March 11 when she picked up a man as a passenger in Gwinnett County and drove him to a restaurant in Alpharetta.

Police told Channel 2′s Bryan Mims that the passenger invited the driver inside to talk about business opportunities.

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“Inside, they both had a drink with one another and, at some point during that interaction, the female reported that she blacked out and she could not recall anything else from that evening,” said Capt. Andrew Splawn.

He said the woman woke up the next morning in an Alpharetta hotel room. She told police she had been raped and her car was stolen. Investigators say that an analysis showed she had also been given a sedative during the incident.

“We worked with Lyft, we also worked with the local area restaurants to help positively identify the suspect,” Splawn said.

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He said Lyft was able to provide passenger and trip information that was key in tracking down a suspect.

The suspect was identified as Demarcus Johnson, 32. He was arrested on April 5 and charged with rape, kidnapping, aggravated assault and theft by taking.

A Lyft spokesperson shared a statement with Channel 2 Action News confirming that Johnson’s account had been removed from the platform.

“Safety is fundamental to Lyft, and the behavior described is reprehensible and has no place in our community or anywhere in society. We have been in contact with the driver to offer our support. Additionally, the rider’s account was permanently removed from the Lyft platform, and we assisted law enforcement with their investigation.”

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