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Hialeah police ask others to report contact with driver accused of sexual assault
Hialeah police are seeking additional potential victims after a 51-year-old former Uber driver was arrested in connection with an alleged assault on a 63-year-old woman. The woman told investigators the assault happened in February, months after she first met the man during a ride to Boca Raton.
Hialeah police are asking anyone who had an encounter with Joe Luis Suarez Pozo to contact investigators after he was arrested in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 63-year-old woman.
Suarez Pozo, 51, was arrested Monday, Oct. 12, on one count of sexual battery. Police say the alleged assault took place at a Hialeah park in February. The woman reported it in July, according to police.
At a court appearance Tuesday, Miami-Dade County Judge Mindy Glazer found probable cause in the case. Court records show Suarez Pozo posted $7,500 bond, though he remained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center Tuesday night.
Police spokesperson Eddie Rodriguez said Suarez Pozo met the woman while driving her to Boca Raton on an Uber trip. They talked and exchanged phone numbers. A few days later, he suggested they meet for coffee and discuss business, Rodriguez said.
The woman told police she became suspicious when Suarez Pozo drove past a cafeteria and parked near a park. According to the police report, she said he forced her to touch his genitals and then forced her to have sex without protection. She told investigators he drove her home afterward.
Rodriguez said the woman sought professional help before reporting the alleged assault, and that the person assisting her encouraged her to come forward. Police have not publicly explained why the investigation took roughly three months after the report before Suarez Pozo’s arrest; Rodriguez said he would need to consult detectives about the investigation and their efforts to interview him.
The investigation remains open. Police are asking people who may have had a similar encounter with Suarez Pozo to contact investigators, even if they were not assaulted. Rodriguez said he was concerned there could be other victims.
Uber said it removed Suarez Pozo from its platform after learning of the allegations. The company said the alleged assault occurred outside an Uber trip and that it is prepared to assist law enforcement.
Suarez Pozo is accused of a crime and has not been convicted. The allegations have not been proven in court.