An Uber driver who also worked at a foster-care home in Florida has been arrested after allegedly kidnapping and raping his female passenger, authorities said Monday.
Gary Kitchings, 57, picked up three women from the SunFest music festival just after midnight Sunday, according to the Jupiter Police Department.
He dropped off two of the women and began flirting with the remaining passenger, she told police.
In an attempt to escape, the woman says she tried to open the door and jump out of the car but the doors were locked.
Kitchings “told her that he had a gun under the seat and if she didn’t do what he wanted, he would kill her,” according to a police report.
The victim was sexually assaulted in the car and when they reached her apartment, she thought he would drive away, she told police.
Instead, he forced his way inside her home, she said.
Kitchings allegedly made the woman perform oral sex “against her will” and raped her inside her house.
He reportedly told her he would “kill her and her dogs if she didn’t shut up.”
The victim, who said she took a picture of Kitchings’ license plate, was able to call 911 for help around 2 a.m.
Kitchings was arrested for kidnapping, sexual assault and burglary after cops conducted an investigation.
The Florida Department of Children and Families has opened an investigation to ensure no children were harmed at Place of Hope, the foster-care home where Kitchings worked, “as a result of this individual’s alleged illegal actions,” agency spokeswoman Jessica Sims told the Sun Sentinel.
“This is a deeply disturbing incident,” Sims said. “We have high standards for the individuals who work in the child welfare system as their jobs are extremely important in ensuring the safety of children.”
Kitchings was an Uber driver for six months and “has been removed from the app,” an Uber spokeswoman said Tuesday.
He is a former member of the U.S. Navy and has a long history in social services, WPTV reported.