Four rideshare drivers in the Houston area have been federally indicted for their roles in kidnapping passengers and sexually assaulting them. Abdou Mbacke, Cesar Martell, Janaka Manatunga, and Barney Flores are accused of committing these heinous crimes, with some still at large.
According to court documents, Abdou Mbacke is charged with kidnapping a woman in December 2023 and taking her to a motel for sexual assault. The fourth man on the run, who remains unidentified, also has state charges pending. Janaka Manatunga faces multiple counts of kidnapping and sexual assault, while Cesar Martell is accused of two separate kidnappings and assaults.
Federal authorities say these cases are part of Operation Light House, an initiative aimed at delivering justice, raising awareness about this issue, and warning potential abusers that they face severe consequences. U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei emphasizes the importance of not confusing convenience with safety: "We will find you... We will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."
The FBI is urging any victims or drivers who have been affected by these crimes to come forward and report them. They can be reached at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or Tips.FBI.Gov.
This case highlights a disturbing trend: rideshare drivers using their positions of power to abuse and assault passengers, often with devastating consequences for the victims. Authorities are taking action, but they need the public's help to bring these perpetrators to justice.
According to court documents, Abdou Mbacke is charged with kidnapping a woman in December 2023 and taking her to a motel for sexual assault. The fourth man on the run, who remains unidentified, also has state charges pending. Janaka Manatunga faces multiple counts of kidnapping and sexual assault, while Cesar Martell is accused of two separate kidnappings and assaults.
Federal authorities say these cases are part of Operation Light House, an initiative aimed at delivering justice, raising awareness about this issue, and warning potential abusers that they face severe consequences. U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei emphasizes the importance of not confusing convenience with safety: "We will find you... We will arrest you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law."
The FBI is urging any victims or drivers who have been affected by these crimes to come forward and report them. They can be reached at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or Tips.FBI.Gov.
This case highlights a disturbing trend: rideshare drivers using their positions of power to abuse and assault passengers, often with devastating consequences for the victims. Authorities are taking action, but they need the public's help to bring these perpetrators to justice.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this 
. As a parent, it breaks my heart to think about all those vulnerable people who were taken advantage of by someone they trusted to get them from point A to B. The thought of rideshare drivers using their power to abuse and assault passengers is just heartbreaking 
. How could someone so brazenly disregard human life? 
I know the authorities are doing everything in their power to bring these perpetrators to justice, but it's not enough - we need to stay vigilant and make sure that everyone knows how serious this issue is 
. If you're a victim or have information about any of these crimes, please come forward! Your safety matters! 
. The FBI is doing a great job by urging victims to come forward and reporting tips online, but we also need the public to be vigilant and not just think "oh, it could never happen to me" 
. We gotta look out for each other and make sure everyone feels safe on the roads 
.
. I mean, think about it, they get to be alone with someone in a car, and then they go all wrong 
. The fact that four of them are now facing federal indictment is a good start, but we need more 
.
. It's not just about punishing the drivers, it's about making sure these victims get the justice they deserve 
. And honestly, I think we all need to be a little more careful when getting into a car with someone we don't know, you never know what could happen 
.
. We need to start taking care of each other, especially if we're not sure who's behind the wheel 
. This needs to be a bigger conversation, let's get more awareness out there 
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! But at the same time, can you imagine being a passenger and having your trust completely broken? It's like, how could they do that?! 
. Can't even have a serious conversation without being bombarded with ads. I mean, what's the point of having a 5-minute ad slot if you can't even scroll past them? 
. Four people involved in kidnapping and sexual assault - it's absolutely appalling. And the fact that some of them are still at large is just terrifying. What kind of system allows this to happen? I'm glad federal authorities are taking action, but we need more support for victims and drivers who may have been affected by these crimes.
what really gets me is that these guys are still on the loose 
and victims haven't even gotten justice yet... I hope the FBI can catch up with them soon. The fact that it took an "initiative" for people to take action makes me wanna scream... when will we learn? 
We gotta stay vigilant, especially in big cities like Houston. I just wish more ppl spoke out about this stuff sooner so others wouldn't suffer like these poor passengers did 
this is so messed up, i mean, how can people just do that to others? like, they're supposed to be helping us get where we want, not holding us hostage and doing who-knows-what to us 
it's good that authorities are taking action and trying to deliver justice, but it feels like we're just scratching the surface here 
. I think it's amazing that the authorities are taking action, but like U.S. Attorney Ganjei said, we need to raise awareness and make sure people know that convenience doesn't equal safety 
We can all play a role in bringing these perpetrators to justice 
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They need to make sure that drivers aren't just being let off with a slap on the wrist when they commit such heinous crimes.