The Broward County jail has released Vincentian Glenroy Cornelius Tannis, a Lyft driver accused of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman in an SUV.
Tannis, 42, was released last Wednesday night after posting $175,000 bonds, according to court records.
He faces two charges of sexual battery on a helpless victim after being arrested on May 23.
The arrest report indicates the woman was visiting from Wisconsin and out with friends when she requested a Lyft ride just before 3 a.m. January 12.
She was picked up on Clematis Street in West Palm Beach and taken to an AirBnB apartment in the 2600 block of Northeast First Street in Pompano Beach.
Upon arrival, Tannis was driving a silver 2016 Ford Explorer, and her friend made sure Tannis and the SUV matched the description in the Lyft app before the woman got in, according to the report.
After drinking and socializing with friends all evening, the woman fell asleep in the back seat of the SUV. About an hour later, investigators reported that she woke up groggy and half undressed, with Tannis on top of her and forcing her to perform a sex act.
She realized she was near her AirBnB destination, so she gathered her things and got out of the SUV. She ran to the apartment, called a friend, cried, and explained what happened. The friend encouraged her to call the police, but she was still stunned and inebriated and didn’t know what to do, the report stated.
She flew home to Milwaukee where she told police what happened and then went to a sexual assault treatment centre to collect DNA evidence.
She also told the Broward Sheriff’s Office and detectives later identified Tannis and the SUV.
The woman flew back to South Florida on March 16 to help with the investigation. She also identified Tannis from one of six photographs. The DNA sample later proved to be a match with Tannis as well, records showed.
Lyft records also confirmed his whereabouts on the night of the attack, and they showed he had turned off his app and then turned it back on about the time of the assault.
Broward Sheriff’s detectives tried to find Tannis at his listed addresses without luck. They finally contacted him by phone and arranged a couple of meetings. He skipped the first one but showed up on May 5, officials said.
During questioning, detectives said Tannis gave contradictory accounts of what happened and they later seized his phone to prove Lyft and GPS data entries conflicted with his story.
As part of his jail release conditions, Tannis is not permitted to work for any ride-share service.
