Cleveland Uber driver helps police arrest rape suspect

A Cleveland CLEVELAND — man raped a woman outside an East Side store in Cleveland despite the fact that an Uber driver stopped and tried to intervene.

Al Bush, 43, is charged with rape and is currently lodged in the Cleveland City Jail awaiting his first court appearance.

The incident happened about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday near the Dollar General on Lee Road and Throckley Avenue in the city’s Lee-Harvard neighborhood.

Bush, who police said appeared to be high on PCP, grabbed a 38-year-old woman and slammed her up against a car, according to court records. He punched her and ripped off her clothes.

He knocked the woman to the ground and tried to rape her, according to police. The woman fought with Bush, but he punched several times and raped her, court records say.

A passing Uber driver saw the attack and pulled up near the two in the hopes that it would scare Bush away. The driver intentionally tried to make sure Bush saw her face and hoped he would stop, court records say.

She called 911 and described the attack to dispatchers. She feared so much for the woman that she asked the 911 dispatcher if she could get out of her car and pepper spray Bush, court records say.

The operator told her not to and she complied.

Police arrived and Bush jumped into his car and led police on a short chase, police dispatch reports say.