Oakland man allegedly forced woman into prostitution scheme

An Oakland man is under investigation for allegedly trying to force a woman into prostitution after she mistook his car for her Uber ride. The incident reportedly took place on March 3. The 56-year-old suspect is accused of pointing a gun at the woman when she entered his vehicle, thinking he was her rideshare driver. He then drove her to Modesto, where he placed ads online to advertise her services and bought her a revealing dress. According to the woman, she was held for two days before escaping. The man took her to a high prostitution area in Oakland and demanded that she "earn" several hundred dollars. Instead, she managed to secretly call the police and explain her situation. During her ordeal, the woman tried to send an "SOS" text to a food delivery service but did not get a response. Police later searched the man’s car and found a gun in the center console. He has been charged as a felon in possession of a firearm due to his prior felony convictions but has not yet faced charges related to human trafficking. Authorities believe he was planning to take her to Salinas next.