Charge filed against Petaluma taxi driver accused of sexually assaulting passenger

The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office charged a Petaluma taxi driver Thursday with one count of rape in connection with the alleged assault of a passenger that police said happened earlier this week.

Noel Ortiz Cortez, 41, who is being held in the Sonoma County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, is accused of sexually assaulting a women on Tuesday, according to a news release from the Petaluma Police Department.

It is not clear if he has an attorney.

According to police, the woman called J’s Taxi around 11:40 p.m. Tuesday and requested a ride to the west side of Petaluma.

Police said Ortiz arrived and drove the woman to the requested destination on Bodega Avenue. They said he then got into the backseat of the cab and assaulted her.

The woman fled and called authorities. Investigators later found video evidence corroborating the woman’s account of events, according to the news release.

Police said they recovered forensic evidence that was found on Ortiz and in the taxi.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 707-778-4450.

You can reach Staff Writer Colin Atagi at colin.atagi@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @colin_atagi