'Family's worst nightmare': Uber driver accused of raping, killing woman

INDIANAPOLIS (WXIN) – Police say an Uber driver recently arrested in the death of an Indianapolis woman admitted he raped, shot and killed her after picking her up from work Sunday morning.

Francisco Valadez, 29, was arrested Tuesday morning by Indianapolis homicide detectives and preliminarily charged with murder.

The Uber driver reportedly admitted to police that he shot and killed 30-year-old Chanti Dixon in a fit of rage after picking her up and attempting to rape her in the back of his car. Valadez also allegedly admitted to dumping Dixon's body in an alleyway in a wooded area near the victim's home.

"This is just disgusting all around and it did not have to happen," said Indianapolis Metro police chief Chris Bailey.

Dixon's death

According to court documents filed Tuesday in Marion County Court, officers were called around 1 p.m. Monday to the 1800 block of Wagner Lane after a woman's body was found in a nearby wooded area. IMPD arrived to find a woman naked, unresponsive and lying on her stomach.

The victim's family said they tracked her phone to the woods behind her home where they found her body and called police.

The woman, later identified by the Marion County Coroner's Office as Dixon, was pronounced dead on scene. After the crime scene was processed for evidence, it was discovered that Dixon had suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of her head.

A woman near the scene told police that the dead woman was her daughter who had been missing since early Sunday morning. The woman told officers her daughter had gotten off work around 3:30 a.m. and ordered an Uber to get home. No one had talked to her since.

IMPD crews reportedly found two cell phones in the wooded area near Dixon's body, both of which belonged to Dixon. Her mother gave police the passcodes for both phones, which investigators said would eventually lead them to Valadez.

Investigation into Valadez

Once back at the homicide office, detectives found that Dixon had ordered an Uber at 3:34 a.m. from the 2300 block of W. 16th Street. She reportedly made one stop along Washington Street in the Uber before being taken in the same car to her home address on Earhart Street.

According to data stored in the Uber app, Dixon's driver drove a BMW with an Indiana license plate, which detectives later connected to Valadez.

Detectives then went to Valadez's home and began questioning him about Dixon. He told police that he did pick up Dixon on Sunday but then began to tell a story of how an armed Black man came up to his car and tried to rob Dixon.

"[Valadez] added that the suspect shot [Dixon] in the thigh and that she kicked herself out of his car and he fled the scene," police wrote. "He also said that he had cleaned the blood out of his car."

Police also reportedly spoke with Valadez's mother, who told them that her son owned a gun that he regularly carries. She added that he had recently cleaned out his car. After seizing items inside his car for evidence, police took Valadez in for interrogation.

Admission and arrest

Detectives took Valadez to the IMPD homicide office where he was reportedly read his Miranda Rights and signed a waiver agreeing to speak with police. After telling several stories about what happened to Dixon, Valadez reportedly admitted what actually happened.

"Mr. Valadez told two different stories as to what happened with Ms. Dixon," police wrote in the court documents.

Detectives said Valadez admitted to raping the woman in the back of his car. While raping the woman, Valadez said she insulted his body. This reportedly caused him to become enraged and shoot Dixon in the head.

Valadez told police that after the shooting, he dragged Dixon out of his car and placed her lifeless body behind a concrete barrier at the dead end of Wagner Lane. The Uber driver also admitted to trying to have sex with Dixon's dead body, police said.

Valadez was then taken into custody by IMPD and later booked into the Marion County Jail on a felony murder charge. IMPD officials said Tuesday that more charges can be expected in the case. An initial court hearing has not yet been scheduled.

'Disgusting, disturbing': IMPD reaction

Indianapolis police officials held a news conference Tuesday afternoon discussing Dixon's murder and the arrest of Valadez.

“This is disgusting, it’s disturbing,” IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said during the conference. “No one deserves to be treated this way in our community and I am so sorry to her family that we’re here today.”

Bailey then touched on the effect this has on the victim's family.

"This is a family that’s been ripped apart,” he said. “This woman is gone from the world unnecessarily by an evil act, and I’m glad that we were able to find this individual as quickly as we did so that he didn’t have an opportunity to perpetuate violence further in our community.”

IMPD's social media accounts posted a photo of a gun seized in relation to the case, shown below.

Bailey indicated that more charges were forthcoming in the case and stressed that the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office would make the final charging decision.

“Women, girls, mothers … they have a right to exist freely in our community without fear of something heinous happening to them,” said IMPD Assistant Chief Catherine Cummings. “They have a right to walk, bike, order a rideshare without fearing something bad will happen to them.”

While they insist the murder is an isolated incident, IMPD said ride-share users can always share their location with friends and family and that women should trust their instincts if things feel dangerous.

"Rideshares continue to be an excellent and safe option to use when you're out in our community," said Cummings. "This is a family's worst nightmare. We're disgusted by these allegations."

Indianapolis police are asking anyone who had a suspicious interaction with Valadez as a rideshare driver or in any other capacity to contact the IMPD Homicide Office at (317) 327-3475. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at (317) 262-TIPS.

Uber's response

In a statement sent to Nexstar's WXIN on Tuesday, an Uber spokesperson confirmed that Valadez has been banned as a driver from the platform.

"Our hearts break for Ms. Dixon’s family and loved ones in the midst of this tragedy," Uber said. "The details of this act of violence are atrocious and we will assist Indianapolis police however we can as they continue to investigate."

Uber went on to say that the company is deeply committed to safety and has invested heavily in making its platform safer for customers. These safety measures include hiring teams of law enforcement pros around the globe and adding an emergency button for in-app users, Uber said.

In addition to adding the emergency button feature, Uber also said that users have the option to record audio during their trip to ensure safety, can share their trip information with family or friends, and can seek "live help" from a safety agent in the app.

This article features additional reporting by WXIN/WTTV's Jesse Wells and Matt Adams.