Attempted rape and assault charges against a Harrisburg cabbie were dismissed Tuesday during a preliminary hearing in Franklin County Central Court. The man had been accused of trying to rape his fare after bringing the woman to Chambersburg in April. Court officials did not say why the charges against Prince Kwaku Boateng, 37, a legal alien from Ghana, were dismissed.

According to court documents, the woman had hired Boateng to bring her to Chambersburg on April 28 after she had flown to Harrisburg from New York.

The woman and Boateng engaged in small talk on the drive from Harrisburg to Chambersburg, according to court documents. When they arrived at the motel room where she planned to stay that night, Boateng told her he was tired and asked if he could sleep in her room for a while before returning to Harrisburg.

The woman was due in Franklin County court that week for a formal arraignment on drug delivery charges and told him he could stay if he would pay half the room rate.

According to court documents, both went to sleep but about 6:15 a.m., Boateng allegedly rolled over onto the woman and then pulled her pants and underwear down as she resisted.

She later told police he tried to choke her. She said that after she broke free and ran for the door of the room he pulled her shirt off, also.

After she escaped and called for help, Boateng left the room, got in his cab and drove away.

Witnesses who saw him leave the motel wrote down his