The taxi company who employs a man accused of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old Calgary woman earlier this month isn’t saying anything about the charges.
At 3:40 a.m. on January 25, a woman was leaving the Palliser Hotel, and got into an Associated Cab.
She was heading home following a family function.
During the ride, police say the taxi driver began to make ‘inappropriate personal questions’.
“The victim got in the cab, she was by herself at the time, and immediately she said the conversation got really personal and made her feel really uncomfortable throughout the ride,” says Acting Detective Karen Macleod with the Calgary Police Service.
The driver then stopped at a Petro Canada gas station in Riverbend, telling her he was getting them both something to drink.
Afterwards, he drove to a back alley and told her to get out of the cab. The victim refused, but she was pulled out of the car at which point the driver grabbed and kissed her.
The pair slipped on the ice, allowing the victim time to flee the area and run home. She called 911.
Macleod says the woman made the right choice by taking her first opportunity to make her escape. She urges others to maintain caution when heading home along, no matter if you are in a taxi cab or using public transit.
“To keep yourself safe, what I do suggest is be aware of your surroundings whether in a taxi cab or public transit. Have your cell phone handy and if something doesn’t feel right, trust your instincts and get to a safe place as soon as possible.”
Investigators used security camera footage from the Petro Canada, along with GPS data from Associated to narrow down a suspect.
On January 30, Umar Khayyam, 35, was arrested at his home. He was released on bail on Monday morning.
Unfortunately, police don’t have any footage from Khayyam’s cab to use as evidence because the footage is only kept for 72 hours.
The City of Calgary has suspended Khayyam’s licence pending the outcome of the charges.
Associated has not made any comment in the case.
