Survivors Detail Four-Year Pattern of Deception and Assault
A Denver jury convicted John Pastor-Mendoza on October 24, 2024, of 30 criminal charges tied to kidnapping and assaulting women between 2018 and 2022. Pastor-Mendoza posed as a rideshare driver, targeting women leaving Denver nightlife venues. Denver District Attorney Beth McCann’s office presented evidence that Pastor-Mendoza sexually assaulted two women and attempted to assault seven others. Six survivors spoke publicly about their attacks and shared their testimony that led to the guilty verdict.
5 Key Points
- Pastor-Mendoza faces sentencing in March 2025 for 30 criminal charges including kidnapping, sexual assault, and attempted assault.
- Denver Police recovered 22 stolen phones from Pastor-Mendoza’s Leetsdale Drive apartment belonging to victims.
- DNA evidence from a July 2022 attack linked multiple cases to Pastor-Mendoza.
- Lyft confirmed Pastor-Mendoza drove for the company before his October 2022 permanent ban.
- Six survivors testified during the Denver District Court trial, detailing attacks spanning March 2019 to July 2022.
Pattern of Deception
John Pastor-Mendoza operated in the Denver metro area between 2018 and 2022, targeting women who called legitimate rideshare services. Denver police found 22 phones belonging to victims in his Leetsdale Drive apartment, revealing a pattern of impersonating rideshare drivers. According to the Denver District Attorney’s Office, he would either assault victims in his vehicle or transport them to secondary locations. A jury convicted Pastor-Mendoza of 30 charges on October 24, 2024, including kidnapping 12 women, sexually assaulting two victims, and attempting to assault seven others.
Rachel Perry’s Fight
In March 2019, Rachel Perry’s girls’ night out turned dangerous when she entered what she thought was her rideshare. After receiving a notification that her actual rideshare had been canceled, Perry realized she was in danger. She experienced unexplained loss of bodily control, suggesting possible drugging, before being taken to an unknown residence. “From there, the man took me to a location that was not my home. He had tried his best to convince me that we were going to a party and that it was my idea, although that was not the case at all,” Perry recalled. When her fight-or-flight response kicked in, Perry discovered she was a fighter. She physically confronted Pastor-Mendoza, forcing him to return her home. “He was terrified. He was screaming at me. He was threatening me, and I just held my own the whole time. I made sure that he knew that if we were going down, we’re going down together,” she said. Initially fearing legal repercussions from defending herself, Perry didn’t report the incident until three years later.
Erika Rinnert’s St. Patrick’s Day Horror
Eight days after Perry’s encounter, Erika Rinnert sat on a curb in downtown Denver, waiting for a friend after celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Despite her friend being only ten blocks away, someone ushered Rinnert into a car displaying a Lyft sign. She passed out during the ride and awoke on the highway, where she attempted to escape. “I tried to get out of the car while we were on the highway. I was in the passenger seat. He grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me back in,” Rinnert said. The attacker took her to an empty house containing only a mattress, where she fought back against his assault. “I started kicking and screaming and just hoping one of the neighbors would hear. I fought with everything I could,” she said. When Pastor-Mendoza left the room, Rinnert escaped and called for medical help. Despite reporting to Aurora Police, Rinnert faced dismissive treatment. “I had a detective then who didn’t care, and so I didn’t pursue it. But how many women suffered because Aurora Police didn’t take it seriously?” she said.
Katie Duvall Davis’s Ordeal
In August 2019, Katie Duvall Davis called a rideshare after dinner and drinks with friends. When a car arrived, she asked if it was for Katie, and the driver confirmed. Davis immediately noticed something wrong when she saw a driver and a passenger. “They said that it looked like I wanted to go party more, and that they were going to take me somewhere. And I insisted, no, I really just want to go home,” Davis recounted. The men drove to a residential area and refused to take her home unless she kissed them both. After complying under duress, Davis broke down. “I threw myself down in the back seat and just started crying and yelling my address,” she said. Though she reached home safely, she discovered her phone missing. Like many victims, Davis blamed herself: “I got into the car. I didn’t check the license plate. Oh my gosh — I blamed myself. I thought it was something stupid that I had done.” Her phone later became crucial evidence when investigators found it among 22 others in Pastor-Mendoza’s apartment.
Cassie’s Lost Hours
In November 2019, Cassie experienced a terrifying gap in her memory after a night at a Denver nightclub. After deciding to call a rideshare, she has no recollection of entering the vehicle. “I don’t remember getting in the car. I was then taken down to Aurora, and there’s about five hours of time that I don’t remember,” Cassie recounted. She regained consciousness near warehouses in Aurora, eventually making her way to a truck stop where an attendant called police. Though she reported her stolen phone, shame prevented her from reporting the assault. “I was ashamed and I was embarrassed,” Cassie explained. “I called my family to come pick me up, and I spent the next few days with them.” A year later, detectives contacted her after linking her case to her recovered phone. Most disturbing, investigators showed Cassie photos Pastor-Mendoza had taken of her while unconscious in his car. “I think this has probably been the loneliest experience in most of our lives,” she said. “I didn’t report it, I didn’t go get tested, and I really have to hold space for who I was back then. I did what I had to do.”
Katie McGhee’s Escape
In May 2022, Katie McGhee called a rideshare after an argument with her boyfriend at a club. She lost consciousness in the back seat but awoke to a horrifying situation. “I don’t really remember that much about getting into the car, but I just remember I must have passed out in the back seat, and I woke up and he was trying to climb on top of me with pretty clear intention to what he was trying to do,” McGhee said. She fought back fiercely, using her platform boots as weapons. After her escape, she found herself stranded without shoes, a phone, or a purse in a King Soopers parking lot on Capitol Hill. Another woman came to her aid after hearing her screams for help, calling the police, who conducted a sexual assault report. Though McGhee initially doubted her attacker would be caught, investigators contacted her in August 2022 with evidence linking her case to others. Now, she advocates for systemic change in rideshare companies. “It can happen to anyone. All of us were just going out, trying to enjoy an evening,” McGhee said. “We were just going out, having a good time. I don’t even really go out that much, and even if I did, I still don’t deserve that to happen to me.”
Juliana Garcia’s Final Case
Pastor-Mendoza’s last known assault occurred in July 2022, targeting Juliana Garcia after she left a Denver nightclub feeling ill. Garcia, who lived in Boulder, separated from her friends inside the club. “The rest of my friends were still in the nightclub, but I thought they were going to stay. I didn’t want to put a damper on their night,” Garcia explained. When a white SUV arrived, driven by a Hispanic male in his 30s, Garcia felt an initial sense of comfort due to their shared ethnicity. The driver offered her water, which she gratefully accepted. “Then I remember thinking to myself, I am really sleepy. I, you know, that usually doesn’t happen. I don’t just fall asleep in a rideshare, just like that,” Garcia recalled. The next day, she experienced unusual symptoms unlike a typical hangover – severe brain fog without a headache, leading her to suspect drugging. Her roommates urged her to undergo a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) exam. Days later, Garcia noticed missing undergarments and unexplained dirt on her clothing, prompting her to file a police report. The DNA evidence from her SANE exam linked her case to the others, and her subsequent identification of Pastor-Mendoza in a photo lineup led to his arrest.
The Path to Justice
The survivors faced additional trauma during the trial process, including aggressive defense tactics questioning their character. However, dedicated Denver detectives helped build a strong case. “In our case, we had a detective who believed us and who sought justice on our behalf. And that was incredibly validating. To have someone look you in the eyes and say, ‘I believe what happened to you,'” Davis said. The investigation revealed damning evidence, including 22 phones found in Pastor-Mendoza’s apartment and photos he had taken of unconscious victims. In October 2022, Lyft confirmed Pastor-Mendoza had previously driven for the company before being permanently banned. The survivors now prepare victim impact statements for his March 2025 sentencing while advocating for rideshare safety improvements, including continuous driver background checks, enhanced vehicle identification, and reclassifying drivers as employees rather than contractors. “We will forever be changed. But truly, I think that we have all come out stronger at the end, not because we needed to be, but because we had to be, because someone else took our choice away,” Garcia said.
On this page:
