A 42-year-old Uber driver, Rafael Martinez, has been arrested and charged with sexual battery following an alleged assault on a woman in Miami Beach earlier this year. According to an affidavit released by police, the incident occurred overnight on January 25, 2025, after the victim, a woman visiting Miami Beach, had left a bar at the Faena Hotel. The victim reported that she had stayed behind to finish her drink while her friend took an Uber back to their shared Airbnb on Collins Avenue. Afterward, the victim walked outside to order her own Uber but was approached by a man, later identified as Martinez, who offered her a ride. Martinez allegedly claimed to be an Uber driver, assuring the woman he would enter her information into the app later.

A 42-year-old Uber driver, Rafael Martinez, has been arrested and charged with sexual battery following an alleged assault on a woman in Miami Beach earlier this year. According to an affidavit released by police, the incident occurred overnight on January 25, 2025, after the victim, a woman visiting Miami Beach, had left a bar at the Faena Hotel.

The victim reported that she had stayed behind to finish her drink while her friend took an Uber back to their shared Airbnb on Collins Avenue. Afterward, the victim walked outside to order her own Uber but was approached by a man, later identified as Martinez, who offered her a ride. Martinez allegedly claimed to be an Uber driver, assuring the woman he would enter her information into the app later.

Once in the vehicle, the victim asked for a drink of water, and Martinez handed her an open bottle of Vitamin Water from his center console. She later recalled feeling disoriented and dizzy after drinking from the bottle, and soon after, she passed out.

The victim’s next memory was of waking up in an unknown apartment, disoriented and unable to recall how she got there. She reported that Martinez gave her a shot of tequila, which she could not hold herself, and guided it to her mouth. The victim then found herself on a bed, naked, in a dark room with no windows. She managed to get dressed, left the apartment, and called for an Uber back to her Airbnb.

When she arrived at the Airbnb, the victim immediately told her friend what had happened, and her friend advised her not to shower and to go to the police. The following investigation led police to obtain a DNA warrant for Martinez, which resulted in his arrest in June 2025.

On October 21, 2025, Martinez was taken into custody at his home and charged with sexual battery on a physically helpless victim. He is currently being held at the Miami-Dade Corrections Facility.

This case remains under investigation as authorities continue to piece together the events leading up to the alleged assault. Our thoughts are with the victim, and we hope that justice will be served.