HOUSTON – Houston police are looking for a man who attacked a taxi driver overnight, stealing his money and his cab.
The good news is the taxi driver is OK and wasn't hurt in the attack. Police say he was heading to the Greenspoint area when the suspect asked him to stop in north Houston and told him he had a gun. The taxi hasn't been seen since.
Taxi driver John Jones spent the morning scouring parking lots along Beltway 8 and Aldine Westfield doing what he could to help out a fellow driver who was attacked and robbed early Wednesday morning.
Jones is looking for a van somewhat similar to his own -- a red, white, and blue Dodge Caravan. It was stolen at around 12:30 a.m. by a man who first posed as a customer.
Police say a 61-year-old taxi driver picked up the suspect downtown and was originally told to head to the Greenspoint area. But along the way the passenger changed his mind and asked the driver to pull over near I-45 and Airline.
After telling the driver he had a gun, police say the man then got in the driver's seat and drove away.
"You just have to trust your gut. Really. If I don't feel right about someone, I'm not going to pick them up," Jones said.
He doesn't know the victim personally, but said he feels for him.
The driver not only lost his cab, but also all of his earnings from the night.
"I just thank God he's OK. Cars can be replaced, drivers can't," said Jones.
Police describe the stolen cab as a red, white and blue caravan from Lone Star Cab with the taxi license number 21-76. That's the four digit number on the cab, not the license plate number itself.
Police say after the carjacking, the taxi driver flagged down officers in the area for help.
A spokesperson for the cab company tells Local 2 they will cooperate with police.