Two Arrested For Robbing Taxi Driver With Trash Bag
MALDEN (CBS) - A local cab driver thought he was going to die.
Early Wednesday morning, a couple he picked up for a fare suddenly attacked. They threw a plastic bag over his head and demanded money. But they didn't get much -- because he fought back.
The driver of a Cambridge Checker cab was finishing up his shift just after midnight when he picked up a man and woman in Medford. The girl sat up front, the guy in the back and they chatted until they got to Malden when the guy put a black trash bag over the drivers head.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports
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"He didn't say give me your money or anything like that I wish he said that first, he just put a bag on me," says the cab driver who asked to not be identified.
The cabbie says at that moment in his cab, he flew into survival mode, "I say if I stop they gonna get me so I say OK we gonna die all so I push the gas hard."
The three fought to control the steering wheel ultimately stopping at Pearl and Medford Streets. A witness called police as the driver and the guy threw a few punches at each other.
The couple eventually ran off with about $150 and the driver's wallet. But they left a very big clue behind, her purse and everything in it.
WBZ-TV's Diana Perez reports
While the driver says he was able to fight the robbers off, he knows that not every situation will be the same and now he's calling for a partition between the front and back seats of every city cab to keep all drivers safe.
The victim's stolen items were recovered.
The two suspects were taken into custody around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Thirty-four-year-old Jaime Diaco and 34-year-old Jason Russell were arrested without incident.
They will be arraigned Thursday.
WBZ-TV's Diana Perez contributed to this report.
