Annapolis Cab Driver Shot Dead On The Job
CROWNSVILLE, Md. (WJZ)—Murder mystery in Anne Arundel County. A cab driver is found dead in a Crownsville neighborhood. His meter was left running.
Monique Griego reports as investigators search for a suspect and motive, the victim's family is pleading for the public's help.
The victim treated his customers like friends. Police believe whoever killed him may have taken advantage of his trusting nature.
Benjamin Kirby Sr. is living every parent's nightmare.
"I woke up this morning and I hoped I was waking up to a dream. I can't look out the window," he said while crying.
It's been a little more than a day since he learned his son, 41-year-old Annapolis cab driver Benjamin Kirby Jr., had been brutally murdered on the job early Wednesday morning.
Kirby last saw his son around 12:30 a.m. as he left to pick up a fare.
Around 6 a.m., Anne Arundel County Police say a neighbor off Honeysuckle Lane in Crownsville spotted Kirby Jr.'s ABC green taxi in his driveway.
"There was blood inside the vehicle and there was also signs of a struggle," said T.J. Smith, Anne Arundel County Police.
But Kirby Jr. wasn't inside. A short time later, officers found his body up the street in another driveway.
He'd been shot at least once in the upper body.
Police are asking anyone who may have seen a green taxi minivan in the area of Honeysuckle Lane on Wednesday night to call them with information.
"We're not sure if this was a targeted incident or a robbery gone bad. We're exploring all possibilities," Smith said.
A former cab driver himself, Kirby Sr. had been robbed at gunpoint and warned his son about the risks.
"If they can find a way to get $100 or $20, they're going to take it. They don't care if it cost you your life or not," he said.
While he hopes the killers are brought to justice, that won't bring his son back.
"I go around, look in his bedroom. But he's not going to be able to walk through those doors anymore. My son is gone. Only things I have of him is memories," Kirby Sr. said.
According to family members, investigators are following leads but need the public's help.
You're asked to call Anne Arundel County Police with any information.
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