Metro Worker Hired While Facing Sexual Assault Charges: Report

LOS ANGELES, CA — A man facing sexual assault charges in Orange County was hired to work as a Metro ambassador in Los Angeles in 2023, raising questions about the agency's vetting process through a third-party vendor, according to an LAist report published Thursday.

Fernando Vinico Chavez, 29, was working as a ride-share driver when he sexually assaulted a passenger in October 2021, according to the report, which said he was later charged with forced sexual penetration by a foreign object and assault with intent to commit a sexual offense.

Chavez was awaiting trial and out on bail when Strive Well-Being, a third-party contractor for Metro, hired him, according to the report.

A few months into the new job, Chavez was arrested by the Santa Monica Police Department on suspicion of trying to rape a woman he met during his shift, according to the report. He was in uniform when he was arrested and was fired from his job three days later, the report said. He was later sentenced to 4 years in prison in connection with the Orange County sexual assault, according to LAist.

The Metro Ambassador program is a three- to five-year pilot program that began in September 2022 to improve riders' experience and add an extra layer of safety aboard the city's buses, trains and at stations, according to the agency.

They are meant to help riders navigate the Metro system, showing people how to pay a fare and report maintenance or safety issues, and connecting those in need with resources such as homeless outreach teams, according to the agency.

"Metro Ambassadors are just that: ambassadors of the incredible talents, diversity and stories being told right here in LA County," the agency says on its website. "All Metro Ambassadors go through a rigorous training program and are paid competitive wages."

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