Florida woman says she was grabbed through door by deliveryman

ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando man hired to deliver for a company called Gopuff is in jail, accused of touching a customer. Now Orange County deputies are trying to determine if he is the same person who attempted to grab a University of Central Florida student. They are also worried there could be other victims.

“[He] comes forward, reaching forward like this, coming at me, and that’s when I quickly swing the door shut and lock it,” explained UCF student Briana Trejo. 

She said she was scared as a delivery man tried grabbing her after she answered the door. At the time, she was on the phone with her boyfriend. “I had my phone by my hip and he reached over, hung up my call and said, ‘I’m trying to talk to you.’”

The day after that happened to Trejo, deputies said there was a similar incident reported nearby, but in that case, they made an arrest. Aphner Gustave, 33, is accused of touching a woman inappropriately, as he was delivering for Gopuff. After the victim shut the door, investigators said he tried texting her asking if she wanted to talk.

Aphner Gustave, 33, is accused of touching a woman inappropriately, as he was delivering for Gopuff. [Orange County Sheriff’s Office]

Gopuff is an app used by a lot of college students. In the app store, it advertises 24/7 service for snacks, food, and alcohol – it even offers to deliver ping pong balls and solo cups.

According to court records, Gustave has been arrested for five felonies, including aggravated assault with a firearm and possession of drugs. He also had 10 traffic infractions, as well as a case allegedly involving auto negligence and stalking.

So how would a driver like this get hired? Gopuff released this statement saying, “The safety of our customers is our top priority. All of our employees and delivery partners are required to pass a background check. We are cooperating with authorities as necessary and can confirm that we have terminated this individual’s contract and removed him from the Gopuff platform.”

Trejo’s parents, Noel and Jackie, are warning others to be on alert, even posting on the UCF parent’s Facebook page.

“We’re just trying to prevent something worse from happening to anyone else,” Noel Trejo said.

Briana Trejo considers herself very lucky, “but if I didn’t react like I did, I don’t know what would have happened.”  

Deputies are concerned there are other victims. If you have information about this case, call the Orange County Sheriff’s office at 407-836-4357.