An argument over cab fare prompted a passenger to pull a gun on a taxi driver in La Mesa overnight, authorities confirmed.
Lt. Chad Bell, of the La Mesa Police Department (LMPD), said a passenger got into a verbal argument with a taxi driver around 2:20 a.m. Wednesday in the 5700 block of La Murray Boulevard.
The passenger, now identified as Armando Rivera, 36, did not want to pay his fare.
As the fight over the fare escalated, Rivera allegedly pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot the cab driver, Bell said. Without paying for his ride, Rivera exited the taxi and took off running.
No one, including the taxi driver, was injured, police said.
LMPD officers were called to the area. They launched a search for the suspect and, within a few minutes, police found Rivera hiding behind a utility box on Lake Murray Boulevard.
Rivera was arrested for robbery and booked into San Diego Central Jail. The firearm he allegedly used in the incident was not recovered, the LMPD said. Rivera is scheduled to appear in court Friday.
