NORTH LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Broward Sheriff’s Office is searching for a man who held up a taxicab driver at gunpoint after he refused to pay the cab fare up front, authorities announced on Monday.
The incident was reported just after 1:30 a.m. July 4 in the 7800 block of Southwest Eighth Street in North Lauderdale.
According to BSO spokeswoman Gerdy St. Louis, the driver picked up the passenger named “James” and starting driving away as he informed the passenger that the full payment of the cab fare was required up front.
St. Louis said the passenger then became irate, demanded another cab and then pulled out a gun on the driver.
Surveillance video inside the cab shows the driver calling for a second cab and asking the man to wait outside.
“The passenger refuses to leave and demands that the driver returns to the original pickup location,” St. Louis said in a news release. “A few minutes later, the driver is seen with his hands held up, begging for his life. The victim says to the gunman, ‘please, don’t kill me,’ before crashing into a parked car.”
Authorities say the driver then returned to the location where he picked up the passenger, and then the passenger got out of the cab without paying the fare.
Detectives are asking anyone with information about the passenger’s identity to call Detective Lacey Fitzpatrick at 954-321-4328. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477) or visiting browardcrimestoppers.org. Tips may also be submitted through the SaferWatch app.