An Indiana Uber driver has been arrested after allegedly raping and murdering a woman who had requested a ride home from work, PEOPLE reports.
On Monday (September 9), Uber driver Francisco Valadez was arrested on suspicion of murder in connection to the death of 30-year-old Chanti Dixon.
The arrest came after Dixon's body was found in a wooded area. Police said she was killed in the early hours of Sunday (September 8).
According to a release, Valadez, who had picked Dixon up before her death, was identified as a suspect with "assistance from the community." A probable cause affidavit states that Valadez admitted to shooting Dixon while trying to have sex with her in the back of his vehicle.
Valadez reportedly made the admission after initially claiming that another man shot Dixon during an attempted robbery after he dropped her off.
"Women, girls, mothers have a right to exist freely in our community without fear of something heinous happening to them,” Indianapolis Assistant Police Chief Catherine Cummings said in a statement. “They have a right to walk, bike, order, rideshare without fearing something bad will happen to them. This is a family's worst nightmare, and we extend our heartfelt condolences to her family during this trying time.”
A GoFundMe was launched to raise money for the funeral expenses of Dixon, who was a mother of two.
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