Woman with disabilities kidnapped, sexually abused by driver for county, police say

A driver contracted by the Miami-Dade County Special Transportation Service was arrested Thursday after police said he kidnapped and sexually battered a woman with disabilities.

Reynaldo Pineda, 63, picked up the 23-year-old woman Wednesday from an adult day care center on Northwest 12th Street in Miami and held her against her will after dropping off his other passengers, police said.

Pineda drove to the 19900 block of Northwest Second Avenue in Miami Gardens, where he forced the woman to perform sexual acts on him, police said.

Afterward, he drove the woman to her home and told her not to tell anyone about what happened because he could lose his job or disappoint his wife and kids, police said. He was arrested on charges of sexual battery and kidnapping. He was booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remains without bond.

The county’s Department of Transportation and Public Works could not immediately be reached for comment Friday evening, but a spokesperson for the department told WSVN 7 News that Pineda would no longer drive STS clients.

“We take the well-being and safe transport of all our customers very seriously,” the spokesperson said, according to WSVN 7 News. “Immediately after being notified of the alleged incident involving a Special Transportation Service customer, the chauffeur working for Transportation America was removed from the county’s contract so as to no longer drive STS clients.”

Members of the public with information about the alleged sexual assault or similar incidents involving the suspect are encouraged to contact Miami Gardens Police Detective Kevin Warren at 305-474-1648. Those who wish to remain anonymous may contact Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-417-8477.

This story was originally published May 3, 2019 at 6:44 PM.