Arrest warrant issued for man accused of sexually assaulting Colorado lawmaker while posing as Lyft driver
Adams County prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for a Lyft driver who allegedly sexually assaulted a Colorado state representative.
Mukhammadali Mukadyrov, 42, has been charged with one count of felony unwanted sexual contact over an incident that allegedly occurred last year when state Rep. Jenny Willford said Mukadyrov, who was driving while using someone else's Lyft account, sexually assaulted her.
CBS News Colorado typically doesn't identify victims and alleged victims of sexual assault, but Willford announced a lawsuit related to the alleged assault in a public news conference in January.
Mukadyrov, who's not in custody, is being sought by police. He was formally charged on Tuesday and a warrant for his arrest was issued at the same time.
"Mukadyrov was allegedly acting as a rideshare driver while using the vehicle and account of another individual at the time of the offense," the 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
Willford said in that news conference in January that she used the Lyft rideshare app to request a ride. The app showed her driver to be someone who wasn't Mukadyrov.
A Lyft spokesperson told CBS News Colorado in January that the company's terms of service prohibit the impersonation of another person, and that this can lead to a permanent ban from Lyft.
"Safety is fundamental to Lyft, and the behavior described in this incident has no place in our society," the spokesperson said. "We take reports of sexual assault very seriously, and when incidents such as these are reported to us, our trained team takes immediate action to investigate and works with local law enforcement so that appropriate actions can be taken."
She said that she has had to endure ongoing stress, anxiety, and loss of a feeling of personal safety since the incident.
"I don't wish my experience on anyone. Sexual assault is insidious and it is a violation of not just a person's body, but of everything they believe to be true -- their heart, their belief in safety, their mind, and their very soul," Willford said at the time.
