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Charlotte Uber driver charged with rape of passenger appears in court Tuesday

Vicente Diaz-Gomez's court date was rescheduled to June 13.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte Uber driver charged with second-degree rape of a passenger last year appeared in court on Tuesday.

Vicente Diaz-Gomez was charged with second-degree rape for an alleged assault in Matthews on Oct. 15, 2022. The victim told officers she was riding home when Diaz-Gomez assaulted her. 

Diaz-Gomez, who lives in Charlotte, was arrested later that day and released on Oct. 16, according to Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office records. 

Matthews police has previously said Uber immediately removed Diaz-Gomez from its database following the alleged incident. 

He was originally scheduled to face a judge in January, but the court date was postponed. On Tuesday, Diaz-Gomez once again had his court date rescheduled; he is now scheduled for a hearing on June 13.

While authorities haven't said there are more victims, due to the public-facing nature of Diaz-Gomez's job, WCNC Charlotte felt it was necessary to share the mugshot in case someone would recognize him from any other incidents that went unreported.

Credit: Matthews Police Department
Vicente Diaz-Gomez

Over the past couple of years, Uber has added several safety measures to the app including a 911 emergency button, GPS tracking, trusted contacts so people can share their ride with close family and friends, and a live-help option to connect with a safety agent who people can stay on the phone with during their entire ride.

With the help of these changes, there has been a reported 38% decrease in the rate of sexual assaults reported on the Uber app between 2017 and 2020.

Note: WCNC instituted a new policy in March 2021 regarding the broadcast or posting of mugshots.  

WCNC will only air or post a mugshot if the person has been formally charged with a crime and in a few other cases. The exceptions include: If it appears the person could be a danger to themselves or others or if they are wanted by authorities; to differentiate between people with a common name; if the photos could encourage more victims to come forward. The news-editorial leadership may also decide to use a mugshot based on the severity of the crime(s) committed and/or the level of public interest in the crime and ensuing criminal proceedings.

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