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Alleged rape sparks push for livery crackdown

By Marlene Naanes | mnaanes@am-ny.com

February 19, 2008

Scores West dancer Monica Maneiro spoke at Scores West at 536 West 28th Street in Manhattan on February 18, 2008. Ms. Maneiro described how she fended off the suspected East Side serial rapist and assisted police in his capture. The accused rapist Torkieh Sadagheh was arrested soon after is also suspected in a series rapes and robberies outside various Manhattan hotspots including Scores West and The Box. (Jefferson Siegel / February 18, 2008)

A taxi group Monday called on the city and police to crack down on illegal livery cab drivers after police charged a fake cabbie with raping one woman and assaulting a second.

The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers asked for stepped up patrols around venues where livery drivers --real and fake --illegally pick up drunk club goers and others. The group estimated that more than 5,000 illegal livery cab drivers operate throughout the city. Under city regulations, only yellow cabs are allowed to pick up street hails.

"They see a Lincoln town car and they don't think about whether or not that driver is legitimate or not," said federation executive director Fernando Mateo said. The call for increased patrols came after police charged Torkieh Sadagheh, 28, in two attacks on Sunday, and began investigating his possible involvement in two rapes last year.

The city Taxi and Limousine Commission and police declined to comment yesterday on the federation's pleas.

Police arrested Sadagheh after two women wrote down his license plate number during the Sunday attacks.

Monica Maneiro, 23, of Morningside Heights, said she was assaulted after she jumped in a livery cab at about 4:20 a.m. Sunday, when she finished work as an exotic dancer at Scores West.

"Out of nowhere he just stopped the cab and jumped in the back seat," Maneiro said. "He grabbed me and had his hand over my face."

Maneiro, who spoke at Scores Monday, said she was able to open a car door and escape. She ran from the cab, took down the plate number and jumped in a nearby off-duty yellow cab to call police.

A half-hour later, Sadagheh picked up another 23-year-old woman near the club, police said. As he neared her home, police said, the suspect pulled over, jumped into the back seat and raped the woman. She was treated at Bellevue Medical Center and released.