By Redacción
Redaccion@latinocc.com
A California judge has ordered an Uber driver to stand trial on charges of rape and kidnapping after determining there is sufficient evidence to proceed, prosecutors said.
Erik Nasarenko, the district attorney for Ventura County, announced that Simranjit Singh Sekhon, 36, of Bakersfield, has been held to answer on charges of rape of an unconscious person and kidnapping to commit rape.
Following a preliminary hearing on April 15, 2026, the court found sufficient evidence, including testimony from the alleged victim and the investigating detective, to move forward with the case. The judge also upheld aggravating factors tied to the charges.
According to prosecutors, Sekhon, who was working as an Uber driver at the time, picked up the victim outside a bar in Thousand Oaks at approximately 1 a.m. on Nov. 27, 2025. The victim had requested a ride to her home in Camarillo.
Authorities allege the victim, who was intoxicated, fell asleep during the ride. Instead of completing the trip, Sekhon allegedly continued driving around the Camarillo area and sexually assaulted her while she was unconscious.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and arrested Sekhon in Los Angeles County on Dec. 15, 2025.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney Twyla Atmore of the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office Sexual Assault Unit.
Sekhon is scheduled to be arraigned on April 29, 2026, at 9 a.m. in courtroom 12 of the Ventura County Superior Court. He is currently out of custody after posting $500,000 bail.
