Cabbie Held at Gunpoint by Suspect in Gaslamp

For the third time in three months a driver has had to deal with violence while on the job. This time, the cab driver was lucky to get away unharmed.

Police are still searching for a man who attempted to rob the cab driver at gunpoint after making him drive around the downtown area on Thursday night, according to San Diego police.

The suspect entered a R J taxi cab in the area of 5th and J at about 11:30 p.m., said Officer Ray Battrick with SDPD.

The cab driver reportedly became suspicious of the man's behavior and pulled over on Euclid Avenue before telling him to get out.

Once he was asked to leave, the suspect pulled a short barrel revolver on the cab driver and told him to keep driving, Battrick said.

The taxi driver, who wanted to keep his face and name private, said the incident seemed to last nearly 30 minutes and that he smelled alcohol on the passenger's breath.

After about ten minutes of driving around, the suspect told the taxi driver to stop at 4800 Market Street and demanded that the man hand over items to him.

The victim told the suspect he had nothing and the suspect ran from the cab, leaving the cab driver uninjured, but shaken.

"I lost my everything," said the driver who added that he thought about who would take care of his children if he was killed.

SDPD's Southeastern division is investigating the incident.

In September, a cab driver was killed in La Jolla and another was killed last month.

The driver in this particular case said he wanted companies to buy video cameras to go inside all taxis.