Mother of 12-year-old rape victim works to keep accused cab driver incarcerated

A taxi driver accused of raping an 12-year-old girl is behind bars on $200,000 bail, according to the Brooklyn district attorney. Now, her mother is working to make sure he never gets out.

News 12 Staff

Aug 13, 2020, 11:48 PM

Updated 1,443 days ago

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A taxi driver accused of raping an 12-year-old girl is behind bars on $200,000 bail, according to the Brooklyn district attorney. Now, her mother is working to make sure he never gets out. 
Shareena Edwards claims that calling what her daughter went through traumatic would be an understatement. 
"Twelve years old having to take Truvada HIV medicine, for 14 days straight. Try being 12 years old and a virgin and having to take a morning-after pill,” said Edwards. 
On Monday night, Edward’s grandmother called a cab from Evelyn Car Service, an independent cab company, and even asked for the driver’s cellphone number because of the girl’s age. 
According to the criminal complaint, the 32-year-old driver identified as Rafael Martinez flashed a loaded gun at the young girl before pulling over and hopping in the back seat and raping her. 
The complaint adds that she tried to fight back but that he punched her repeatedly until she lost consciousness. 
When she woke up, the complaint says he was raping her and threatened her before driving to another location where he raped her again and then drove her to her destination. 
Martinez is facing charges including rape, criminal sex act, sex abuse, endangering the welfare of a child, menacing and assault.
Edwards says she plans to continue meeting with the Brooklyn DA and do whatever she can to make sure that Martinez is held to the fullest extent of the law.
The Taxi and Limousine Commission says Martinez was operating illegally, but that his former boss says to her knowledge he had a license. 
On Thursday, the TLC moved to revoke the car service's license and ordered the Vanderbilt Avenue business to cease operations.


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