PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A Phoenix man accused of sexually assaulting two women in the Valley over a year apart is now behind bars.
Mohammad Al Bishawi, 33, was arrested Monday in connection to two separate sexual assault cases involving a East Valley Lyft rider and a Phoenix massage therapist.
On Dec. 30, 2024, a victim told Gilbert Police that her Lyft driver tried to sexually assault her. The victim told officers that while on her way home from her friend’s house, her rideshare driver, later identified as Bishawi, kept asking her to kiss him.
When the victim refused and began scrolling on her phone, the driver allegedly threw her phone away from her and grabbed her arm before exposing himself to her.
The driver then pulled into a parking lot, which the victim believed was a school, and continued his advances on her, making sexual contact with her. The victim told police she tried to get out of the car but couldn’t because the suspect had a strong grip on her arm. He then grabbed hold of both of her arms and forced her to kiss him, court documents said.
Records stated that he then went to drop the victim off at her house, and while driving, he began crying and saying, “This is not like me.”
Police obtained the driver’s information from Lyft, which confirmed that the registered owner of the car was Bishawi. The victim’s shirt was collected and processed for DNA evidence.
Investigators link Bishawi to Phoenix assault
On Sept. 15, the crime lab notified Gilbert investigators that there was a DNA match for a sexual assault case that happened on May 26, 2023 in Phoenix.
In that incident, the victim told police a client sexually assaulted her at her massage parlor. The suspect, later identified as Bishawi, entered the business and asked for a massage. The victim told police that when she walked into the massage room, Bishawi was hiding behind the door naked. That’s when Bishawi allegedly attacked the victim before violently sexually assaulting her.
According to court paperwork, the victim followed Bishawi outside and threw a potted plant at his car as he drove off. When the victim was examined, the forensic nurse noted multiple injuries that showed signs of sexual assault.
Detectives also recovered a tissue with DNA evidence from the scene, which was entered into CODIS, a nationwide database. Police also collected video surveillance from a nearby business, which showed the suspect and his car at the massage parlor the day of the alleged assault.
Both of the victims positively identified Bishawi in a photo lineup.
On Monday, he was arrested and booked into jail. Bishawi is facing multiple sexual assault and kidnapping charges. His bond was set at $500,000 cash-only.
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