A routine ride for a cab driver in San Diego turned frightening Friday night when a passenger in the backseat wrapped a cord around the driver’s neck and then stole his taxi, police said.
The carjacking happened just before 10:30 p.m. in Santee, as the Yellow Cab driver neared the Mast Boulevard exit on westbound State Route 52.
The San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said a passenger in the backseat used some kind of cord and wrapped it around the victim’s neck, trying to choke him.
The driver stopped the cab and got out. The suspect then jumped into the driver’s seat and stole the taxi cab, police said. The victim, uninjured, called 911.
As they investigated, police discovered the cab, abandoned, a short distance away. There was no trace of the carjacking suspect.
Police said the man is described as being in his 20s, and was wearing a black and white shirt and black hat. He wore his hair in a ponytail.
The investigation is ongoing.
