Assault charges against Uber driver are dropped

The state has dropped the charges against an Uber driver accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old passenger.

The city prosecutor filed papers in state court Friday dismissing two first-degree sexual assault charges and one attempted first-degree sexual assault charge against Luke Wadahara.

Wadahara’s lawyer had asked to have the charges dismissed after a report of the DNA samples collected from Wadahara and the girl showed that they didn’t have each other’s DNA on them or their clothing, but there was DNA of another male on the girl. A court hearing on the request was scheduled for Monday.

Wadahara, 25, had been unable to post $150,000 bail and had been in custody since his arrest last April. He was released Friday.

The girl told police she and her friends hailed a ride on Uber from Ala Moana Center. She said Wadahara picked them up, dropped off her friends in Mililani, then headed back to town to drop her off.

Instead of taking her home, the girl told police Wadahara made a detour in Makiki, parked his car and sexually assaulted her. She said she was able to free herself and run to her home, where she and her mother downloaded Wadahara’s personal information from his Uber profile page and Facebook and turned it over to police.

Police arrested Wadahara at his Kapiolani-area apartment a few hours later.

Wadahara told police that whatever he did with the girl was consensual. He and his lawyer were prepared to claim consent as a defense until they received the DNA report late last month.