Court-appointed interpreter approved for IC Uber driver accused of sexual assault

Court-appointed interpreter approved for IC Uber driver accused of sexual assault
Lang
3/30/19

A court-appointed interpreter has been approved for an Iowa City Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting one of his passengers.

That ruling came down from Judge Jason Burns earlier this week in Johnson County District Court. The interpreter was requested by lawyers for 38-year-old Ali Alsheik of Westwinds Drive, who faces a 3rd Degree Sexual Abuse charge.

Arrest records state Alsheik had been called to pick the woman up in downtown Iowa City early the morning of October 7th, 2017 to take her home to Grant Street, an approximately eight-minute trip. But police say Uber records show Alsheik did not drive a direct route to the woman’s requested location, instead driving her around for 29 minutes.

In that time, police say he sexually assaulted the woman, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. She went to the hospital for an examination within hours of the incident and police later took DNA samples from Alsheik, saying they found mixed DNA from him and the victim in the car, on Alsheik and in the victim’s sexual assault kit.

Alsheik allegedly told police there was no sexual contact between the two but that he had to fight off her sexual advances toward him, saying he only drove her home.

3rd Degree Sexual Abuse is a class C felony carrying up to 10 years in prison. Trial is set for June 25th.