A 38-year-old Siparia man has been charged for raping a woman he picked up as a passenger while purporting to be a PH driver two weeks ago.

The 23-year-old victim told investigators she was waiting for a taxi to San Fernando in front of KFC in High Street Siparia on June 28 around 6.15 am when the suspect told her he was a private-hire driver.

She got into the front passenger seat while two male passengers got into the back seat. The other occupants were dropped off at George Street. She said the driver then turned into Allies Street, saying he was taking a shortcut. However, she said the man then pulled up by a house in Bermudez Trace, covered her mouth and dragged her out of the vehicle into the house where he raped her.