Indy Uber Driver Pleads Guilty to Murder of Woman Passenger

INDIANAPOLIS – An Indianapolis Uber driver has agreed to plead guilty to killing a woman last year after also admitting to raping her.

In September 2024, police say Francisco Valadez picked up 30-year-old Chanti Dixon and drove to a dead-end street. Once there, he sexually assaulted the woman in the backseat of his car before fatally shooting her in the head.

According to IMPD, Valadez then took Dixon’s body out of the car and dumped it in the woods just off Wagner Lane on the city’s near southeast side. The body was later found by police.

The plea deal signed by Valadez carries a 45-year prison sentence. As part of the deal, other charges against him will be dismissed, including attempted rape and attempted abuse of a corpse.

The court has not yet officially accepted the plea agreement. A change of plea hearing is set for Thursday at 9:30 a.m.