crime

Passenger robs taxi driver, then steals cab in Ibaraki

18 Comments

Police said Tuesday they are looking for a man who robbed a taxi driver and then stole the cab in Nagayama Ryugasaki, Ibaraki Prefecture, early Monday morning.

According to police, the man got into the taxi in Tokyo's Suginami Ward and asked the driver to take him to Ibaraki Prefecture, which was a fare of about 30,000 yen, TV Asahi reported. At about 4:20 a.m., the man threatened the 46-year-old driver with a knife. He stole 70,000 yen and the driver's cell phone, then forced the driver out of the cab and drove off. The driver suffered wounds to his fingers, police said.

According to a description released by police, the man was in his 40s, about 170 cms tall, had white hair and was wearing a gray jacket.

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18 Comments
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He took the cab to earn some more money driving passengers. He also took the money to pay for the gas.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Obviously he took the cabbie's cell phone to prevent him calling in the theft right away. Depending on where he left the cabbie, it may have been some time before he could find a phone to call the police.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Poor cabbie - that's his livelihood, his office, gone. I hope it wasn't a privately-owned cab, and a company car instead.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

*tracking devices

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Couldn't they have tracked the cab via gps? I thought all cabs would have a tacking device and gps..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A classic end to this story would be the guy getting caught masquerading as a taxi driver around Ibaraki in his new wheels!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I predict the following scenario: "I don't remember anything. But if it did happen, I'm very sorry"...Okay, suspended sentence, after you pay the driver his gomenesai money.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Ryugasaki is a great big hole with rice paddies. The fugitive couldn't have picked a better place to flee in the cover of darkness. It must be a strange and eery place for a Tokyo Cabbie and who can blame him, this is Ibaraki after all.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

White hair? Some old geezer out on the rob? Japan is finally easing itself into the 21st Century........

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

If he is messy in the car good - that means his DNA will be there.

I hope to see a story soon reporting that they catch this guy. I like the stories that have follow-up on crime and punishment.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I luv your post Wurthington. Never knew that.

When this guy gets his cab back, there will be half eaten sandwiches in the back seat along with chicken bones and dirty tissues. People that steel cars are always messy in them. It has happened to two relatives of mine and several Japanese friends. Pays to lock your car and not leave the keys in it.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

It definitely sounds like it was a planned attack. I very much doubt he had the cab outside of 30 minutes. It looks like he stole it (and the cell phone) to make his getaway. Most likely, the taxi was abandoned shortly after.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

He's probably having his hair dyed black right now... like many Japanese men do. A few years back a Japanese woman in her 30's asked me why so many foreign men had grey hair compared to Japanese men around the same age. I simply said... very few foreign men feel the need to dye their hair.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

He's a geezer. NPA can get a court order on that cel (GPS)l and have the guy in 24 hrs. I expect this twit to get caught.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Hahaha! Nice one! Probably got fed up with cabbies!

-10 ( +1 / -11 )

30000 to ibaraki? it's not that bad.. just shows how far Narita is, that's all

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Let me guess: Drunk and no money to get home?

How many random drunks do you know that carry knives and are in a fit state to drive taxi cabs?

It's much more likely that this was a planned attack.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Let me guess: Drunk and no money to get home?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

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