Thursday, March 23, 2017 | 3:51 p.m.
Abdul Based
A cab driver accused of sexually assaulting an incapacitated passenger showed up at the Henderson woman’s house with flowers days before he was arrested and tried to apologize, according to a Metro Police report.
Perplexed because she didn’t remember the attack, the woman grabbed a baseball bat when the cabbie refused to leave, police said. It wasn’t until later that day, when detectives showed her surveillance video from the cab, that she realized what had happened and broke down, police said.
Abdul Based, 25, who was arrested Friday — more than a week after the woman’s March 6 cab ride — admitted to fondling the woman, but said it was only wrong because he was married, according to police.
Based was booked on a count of sexual assault and was being held at the Clark County Detention Center on $100,000 bail, jail records show.
The alleged assault only came to light after the woman, who had been out drinking before she got in the taxi, called Lucky Cab Co. because she thought she might have left behind her missing cellphone during the 35-minute ride home from the Strip, police said.
On March 8, a supervisor pulled surveillance video from the cab that showed what happened and contacted authorities, police said.
According to police, the woman got into the back of Based’s cab at 4:43 a.m. and fell asleep or passed out. She told police she didn’t remember the ride.
About 10 minutes into the trip, Based reached into the back seat and started fondling the woman, police said. He then pulled over on the 215 Beltway and told the woman to get into the front seat, where she fell asleep again, police said.
Based continued to drive and fondle the woman until they arrived at her home, police said.
After reviewing the video, the cab company fired Based, officials said.
Jason Awad, who owns Lucky Cab Co., which employs 350 drivers has about 200 vehicles, all equipped with video surveillance, said Based was hired in January. Based, who previously drove for another company, had gone through background checks, Awad said.
A judge on Wednesday ordered that Based surrender his passport and not contact the victim as conditions of his bail. His next court date was set for April 6.
