3rd Virginia Cab Robbery, Assault in a Month

A Virginia Cab driver was threatened with robbery at gunpoint May 28, just one week after a similar incident involving a Virginia Cab driver.

A 54-year-old driver reported that at 3:45 a.m. Tuesday he responded to the 200 block of Harris Street to pick up a fare, Fredericksburg police spokesperson Natatia Bledsoe said.

"While waiting in front of the house, the driver heard a knock on his passenger window and saw a male standing outside the vehicle with a gun in his hand," Bledsoe said. The unknown male demanded that the driver turn over his money, but instead the driver pulled the cab quickly away from the curb and called police.

The driver also reported a second male was standing several feet away from the armed man when the incident occurred.

The victim described the first suspect as a black male in his late teens or early 20s wearing a gray and white striped hoodie.

The victim described the second male as a black teenager wearing a white hoodie.

Officers searched the area but were unable to locate any suspects. The call for the fare was later determined to be bogus.

Virginia Cab Robbery on May 21

A driver for Virginia Cab reported he was dispatched at about 1:20 a.m. May 21 to The Apartments at Cobblestone Square. The driver was unable to locate the customer and a male leaned into the passenger side window of the vehicle displaying a firearm and demanding money. 

In that incident, the suspect was able to get away with a small amount of cash.

The suspect is described as a black male, 5’8” – 5’10”, 150-170 pounds, and he was wearing a dark blue or black hooded sweatshirt.

Virginia Cab Assault, Attempted Robbery on May 3

On May 3 a Virginia Cab driver was assaulted during a fare dispute at Crestview Apartments.  During the argument, one of the subjects pulled out a knife and grabbed the cab driver by the neck, while the second suspect punched him repeatedly in the face.  The suspects attempted to get the victim’s wallet, but they were unable to do so and ran from the scene.

Officers located one of the suspects hiding on the landing of one of the apartment buildings.  Christian Torres, 28, of Fredericksburg, was arrested and charged with attempted robbery, malicious wounding, and public intoxication.

The second suspect remains at large.

"It is likely the last two events are related (Cobblestone and Mayfield) because of the similarities in how they were committed and suspect descriptions," Bledsoe said.  "But it does not appear that the first incident at Crestview is linked to the other two," she said.

All three investigations are ongoing. 

For more information, see:

Armed Robbery of Cab Driver at Cobblestone Apartments (May 22, 2013)

Cab Driver Assaulted at Crestview Apartments (May 7, 2013)

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