A depraved predator being called the “Rideshare Rapist” is finally facing a lifetime behind bars after being convicted of a years-long spree of terrifying kidnappings and sexual assaults in San Francisco.
Orlando Vilchez Lazo, 44, was found guilty on 11 felony counts, including four counts of rape by force or fear and kidnapping with intent to commit rape, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced on Friday. The cold-blooded monster targeted vulnerable women — all aged 21 or 22 — as they waited for rides outside nightclubs in the city’s trendy SoMa and Mission districts.
The verdict could see Vilchez Lazo spend the rest of his life in a cage. He currently faces a staggering sentence of 100 years to life in prison.
The reign of terror began in 2013, when Vilchez Lazo lured a young woman into his car in the Mission District. He drove her to a desolate, industrial area and raped her. While that case went cold for years, the victim’s courage in undergoing a forensic exam provided the DNA evidence that would eventually seal Vilchez Lazo’s fate.
The predator resurfaced in 2018, picking up three more victims between February and June. In one harrowing instance, he tricked a woman’s friend into getting out of the car before speeding off with his prey.
“This can be easy or this can be violent,” the sicko told one victim as he held a metal object to her throat, according to prosecutors.
Another victim thought she was safe when Vilchez Lazo pulled up to Howard and Second streets shouting “Uber, Uber.” Instead, she was driven to a secluded spot and attacked with a sharp object. In a desperate bid for survival, the woman managed to escape — despite the brute dragging her back in multiple times — and ran through the streets until she found a resident to help her.
The jig was finally up in July 2018 when a dedicated task force tracked Vilchez Lazo down in San Mateo County.
The trial was plagued by years of delays and desperate attempts by the defense to toss out DNA evidence.
“Let this conviction serve as a reminder to those who think they can outrun justice,” DA Jenkins said in a statement.
