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Fake Cabbie Arrested, One Victim Speaks Out
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 19, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 19, 2008
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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The man who attacked two women this weekend after picking them up under the guise of being a legit livery cab driver has been arrested. One of Torkieh Sadagheh's victims, Monica Maneiro of Morningside Heights, hailed his car after getting off work at Scores strip club on Saturday night; the 23-year-old recounts what happened next:
"Out of nowhere he just stopped the cab and jumped in the back seat. He grabbed me and had his hand over my face. When he was trying to restrain me I was just trying to calm him down. I didn't really fight back too much because if I would have he probably would have gotten more upset. So what I did was I was just trying to calm him down. I was trying to open the door at the same time without him seeing."
The two fell out of the car when the door opened and when she saw a real cab coming by she got in, memorized Sadagheh's plate number and called the police. Just 30 minutes later Sadagheh struck again, but this time his victim, another 23-year-old, was not able to escape. After he raped the her she took down his plate number as well, linking up the two attacks.
Manhattan special victims unit detectives were already waiting for Sadagheh that night upon his return home. After his arrest, the 28-year-old told the police they're wrong, declaring, "Absolutely not. Those accusations…those were drunk women. Nothing is rape." The police believe he is not only responsible for the weekend attacks, but also rapes that happened last year outside of L.E.S. club The Box. The Daily News reports that Sadagheh recanted a statement that he was the attacker spotted in the rapes outside The Box. After not being identified by the victims from last year's incidents, he was not charged for those rapes.
Photos of Torkieh Sadagheh and Monica Maneiro via The Daily News.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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