A woman who believed she was getting a ride home from downtown Minneapolis instead found herself sexually assaulted by a driver after entering what she thought was her Uber, according to a newly filed complaint.
Angel Rodolfo Fernandez Morocho, of Minneapolis, faces a charge of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct for sexually assaulting the victim while she was incapacitated.
According to the complaint, officers responded to an apartment complex in Golden Valley around 1:50 a.m. on July 31, 2022, after a report of a sexual assault. The victim told officers she had been drinking at a bar in downtown Minneapolis and ordered an Uber to take her home. She entered a vehicle she believed was her ride, driven by a man with short black hair, brown eyes and a medical-style mask.
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The victim reported that after entering the vehicle, she lost consciousness. When she awoke, the driver was on top of her and her pants and underwear were down around her ankles. The complaint states the driver sexually assaulted her. The victim told the man to get off and said she wanted to go home. The driver responded, “It’s okay,” then dropped her off. The victim later realized her phone was missing and approached a woman nearby for help. That woman called 911.
Officers transported the victim to North Memorial Hospital for a sexual assault examination. Swabs collected during the exam were sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for DNA testing. The BCA found a major male DNA profile on the victim’s swabs that matched an unidentified profile from a 2012 Minneapolis sexual assault case involving a cab driver.
In 2025, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office and Minneapolis Police Department reopened the case as part of a sexual assault kit initiative. Investigators identified Angel Rodolfo Fernandez Morocho as a possible suspect after learning he had previously worked as a cab driver and owned a vehicle matching the description from the 2012 case.
On June 23, 2026, officers arrested Fernandez Morocho and collected a DNA sample. The BCA confirmed that his DNA matched the major male profile found on the victim’s swabs. During questioning, Fernandez Morocho admitted to working as a cab driver and Uber driver. He initially denied having sex with a passenger in 2022, but after learning about the DNA evidence, admitted to having sex with the woman he picked up that night.
He acknowledged the victim was not conscious enough to consent and expressed guilt for his actions.
The complaint notes that Fernandez Morocho is also charged in a separate 2012 criminal sexual conduct case after his DNA matched evidence from that investigation.
The charge was filed Friday, July 17, in Hennepin County District Court.
About This Charge
Minnesota’s criminal sexual conduct statutes are organized by degree under § 609.342 (first), § 609.343 (second), § 609.344 (third) and § 609.345 (fourth). First-degree convictions carry up to 30 years in prison; the lower degrees carry penalties up to 25, 15 and 10 years respectively. Cases involving minors trigger additional mandatory-minimum provisions and predatory-offender registration under § 243.166.
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Jurisdictional Context
Hennepin County is Minnesota’s most populous jurisdiction. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office handles felony prosecutions across Minneapolis and 45 surrounding cities; the Fourth Judicial District presides over felony arraignments and trials at the Hennepin County Government Center in downtown Minneapolis.
