WASHINGTON — Police have arrested a 45-year-old man in connection with the sexual assault of two women in D.C.
Detectives say Claudio Andres Vizcarra pretended to be an Uber driver when he allegedly committed the crimes. He is charged with First Degree of Sexual Assault and MSA for his involvement in the following incidents from 2022.
On Tuesday, May 3, 2022, The Office of Unified Communications received a call from the Arlington County Police Department regarding a victim who walked into their station and reported that she was the victim of a criminal assault in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 30, 2022, around 4 a.m.
Police say the victim in this incident reported after drinking with friends at Sauf Bier Hall in Northwest, Vizcarra offered to give her a ride home. He allegedly drove for a few minutes, stopped in front of an apartment building, and sexually assaulted her.
After which, investigators say he drove her to her apartment.
The victim reported that her assault occurred in D.C., but was unsure of the exact whereabouts.
She claims her friend tried ordering her three consecutive Ubers to take her home the night of the assault, but all three were canceled. Her friends had already left the bar for the night when she got into Vizcarra's car alone.
When she got into the car, "a newer model Toyota Camry," Vizcarra told her he planned on picking up more rideshare passengers and asked her to move from the back seat to the front seat. This is where he overpowered her, partially pushed her outside the car window, and raped her.
On the drive back to her apartment, the victim says she remembers driving over a bridge. She also shared a picture she took of Vizcarra inside the vehicle with police. His face was covered in the photo.
On Saturday, October 29, 2022, officers responded to the 3900 block of Fessenden Street, Northwest for a criminal assault.
At the scene, officers met with the victim in this case who claimed that a man she believed to be an Uber driver sexually assaulted her inside a car after leaving a Halloween party in the Adams Morgan area.
According to county documents, the victim said that she called an Uber but canceled the service after realizing how far away one was from her. The victim further stated that Vizcarra offered her a ride home and stated that he was Uber.
Following this, the victim explained that Vizcarra told her to sit in the front seat because he was picking up additional passengers. The victim then complied and expressed that after they drove away, Vizcarra pulled over to an unknown location and started touching her and kissed her, according to the court documents.
The victim states that she told Vizcarra that she had a boyfriend and that he started driving afterward. At this point, the victim began texting a friend and that friend then called her and stayed on the phone for the remainder of the car ride, court documents explain.
The victim then got out of the car after Vizcarra pulled over at the intersection of 39th and Fessenden Streets in Northwest, D.C. where she was greeted by several of her friends. Witnesses said they were able to get a photo of Vizcarra's car and license plate when he drove away, according to court documents.
On Nov. 4, 2022, police executed a residential search warrant in Bethesda, Maryland for Vizcarra. In January 2023, police obtained an arrest warrant after receiving a Forensic Biology Report that indicated Vizcarra's DNA aligned with what was found on the victim's shirt, according to the court documents.