Uber driver officially charged with murder, attempted rape in death of missing Indy woman

INDIANAPOLIS — A local Uber driver who reportedly told police he raped and killed missing Indy woman Chanti Dixon before dumping her body in an alleyway and throwing her phones into the woods has now been charged with murder in Marion County.

Francisco Valadez, 29, was arrested last Tuesday by IMPD homicide detectives after he reportedly admitted he shot and killed the 30-year-old Dixon in a fit of rage after picking her up as an Uber driver and attempting to rape her in the back of his car.

“This is just disgusting all around and it did not have to happen,” said IMPD Chief Chris Bailey.

Valadez was officially charged Monday with felony murder, attempted rape and attempted abuse of a corpse.

Dixon’s death

IMPD officers were called around 1 p.m. last 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 IMPD as Dixon – was pronounced dead on scene. Coroners later found that she had been shot once in the left side of her head.

A woman near the scene told police 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 phones were identified as belonging to Dixon. The victim’s mother gave police the passcodes for both phones, which would eventually lead them to Valadez.

Investigation into Valadez

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.

Detectives noted that the Uber ride was marked as completed around 4:05 a.m. There was reportedly a $5.00 tip given to the driver.

The app said Dixon’s driver drove a BMW with an Indiana license plate. Detectives searched further into the driver and identified him as Valadez, coming up with an address on Aristocrat Circle. The BMW itself was a car registered to a relative of 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 and at first said that nothing unusual had occurred.

When confronted with evidence by police, Valadez changed his story and said that he’d heard a gunshot after dropping her off. Valadez claimed after he got back home around 5:30 a.m., he called IMPD’s non-emergency line to report the incident.

He then reportedly added more to his story and said 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 and that the items were still inside.

Court documents show police later found bloody rags and a Walther PPX 9mm in Valadez’s room.

Admission and arrest

Detectives took Valadez to the IMPD homicide office where he reportedly agreed to speak without a lawyer before telling several more stories.

Court documents detail how police confronted him with the fact that Dixon was shot in the head, not the thigh. This reportedly caused Valadez to change his story again.

“Ok I shot her in the head,” police quoted him as saying. “It was self-defense.”

Valadez then reportedly went through a story of how Dixon was hitting him in the head while driving, causing him to grab his pistol from the driver’s side door and shoot over his shoulder. He then said he dumped her body behind a concrete block on Wagner Lane.

“He made it a point to say that she had her clothes on and whatever happened after he dumped her, he knew nothing about,” IMPD wrote.

Police didn’t buy this story either, and pressed Valadez further. That is when he reportedly admitted to the crime.

Detectives said Valadez admitted to being a 30-year-old virgin who offered Dixon money to take his virginity. Valadez said he got mad when Dixon laughed at his body. This reportedly caused him to become enraged and shoot Dixon in the head.

Valadez told police that after the shooting, he drug 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. He said he then threw her cell phones and wallet into the woods nearby, where they were found days later by her family.

Valadez was then taken into custody by IMPD and later booked into the Marion County Jail on a preliminary felony murder charge.

Official charges

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office filed official charges against Valadez on Monday morning. To read the full probable cause affidavit and charging information, click here .

Valdez now faces the following charges in Marion Superior Court:

• Felony Murder
  • Two counts
• Attempted Rape (Level 1 Felony)
  • One count
• Attempted Abuse of a Corpse (Level 6 Felony)
  • One count

Valadez made his initial hearing on Monday. He is being held without bond pending trial. A preliminary trial date has been set for November.

‘Disgusting, disturbing’: IMPD reaction

IMPD officials held a news conference last Tuesday discussing Dixon’s murder and the arrest of Valadez.

“This is disgusting, it’s disturbing,” 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.”

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 IMPD Assistant Chief Catherine Cummings. “This is a family’s worst nightmare. We’re disgusted by these allegations.”

Bailey said IMPD wants to know if Indy residents have had other suspicious interactions with Valadez as a rideshare driver or in any other capacity. He urged people 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 FOX59/CBS4 last Tuesday, an Uber spokesperson confirmed that Valadez has been banned as a driver from the Uber 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.

To read the full probable cause affidavit and charging information for Valadez, click here .

This article features additional reporting by FOX59/CBS4’s Jesse Wells and Matt Adams.

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