Bronx Livery Cab Robbery Captured On Video; $1,000 Reward Offered
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police are looking for two men wanted for robbing a livery cab driver at knifepoint.
And as CBS 2's Pablo Guzman reported Wednesday, the NYPD has dramatic video which shows the whole episode.
The video shows two passengers in the back seat -- except they're not ordinary passengers. They're thieves. And they're about to pull a job.
"These two guys that committed this crime are stupid people," said Fernando Mateo, president of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers.
Mateo said they were stupid because they should have known they'd be caught on tape.
"And the cops get these tapes, Pablo, and, you know, that's it: they're going to jail. And they're going to jail for what? For a hundred dollars?" Mateo said.
The suspects flagged the cab down at 125th and Fifth on Monday at about 3:40 p.m., and told the driver to go to 138th Street near the Bruckner, in The Bronx, police said. Once there, as the video shows, a knife was put to the driver's throat. You can see one man jump in front and get the driver's valuables. The other seems to choke him.
At that spot in the South Bronx, after they practically assaulted the livery cab driver and made off with his wallet and cell phone, they ran away, police said.
NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said the two have not been tied to other cab robberies -- at least not yet.
"At this time this does not fall into a pattern. Sometimes as we go forward it does, but at this point it does not," Kelly said.
"We have the images. Very clear. And anyone who knows who these guys are can just call in and they'll make a thousand bucks," Mateo said.
As in the $1,000 reward the livery drivers are offering.
The driver's name and address is known to the thieves, police said. He is nervously hoping people help the cops take them off the street.
Descriptions of the suspects provided by the NYPD are very slim. The knife-wielding man is described as African-American, wearing a dark jacket, a plaid button-down shirt and light colored pants. He also wore a doo-rag. The other suspect is simply described as a black male wearing a dark hoodie.
Anyone with any information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). You can also submit tips by via the Crime Stoppers website or by texting tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All calls are strictly confidential.
