Victim’s cab riddled with bullets

By BEN LUNDIN

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – After a short cab drive from Airline Highway to Fir Street, a pair of unidentified males nonchalantly robbed a cab driver and shot up his car as they walked off, the St. John Sheriff’s Office reports.

The two men may have found their way into LaPlace via a Ford Ranger reported stolen out of New Orleans, which investigators discovered shortly after the robbery near the area the cab driver picked them up.

The pair reportedly flagged down the cab at the RaceTrac gas station near the corner of Almedia Road and Airline Highway at 5:30 a.m. on Monday claiming their car had broken down on the highway and they needed a ride to Fir Street because one of the men needed to babysit his kid while his wife was at work.

The driver described one man as a well-spoken 5’6” 20-year-old with a short hair cut and the other between the ages of 30 and 35, weighing approximately 180 pounds with a medium build and dread locks.

When the cab driver reached their desired destination on the 100 block of Fir Street, the two men walked out of the cab before the man with dread locks reportedly took out a pistol and robbed the driver of an undisclosed amount of money.

The pair started to walk off when the 20-year-old allegedly grabbed a handgun and unloaded two shots at the taxi, hitting the windshield and hood of the cab on the passenger side.

Agents found the stolen Ford Ranger parked near the corner of Almedia Road and Airline Highway less than two hours after the robbery.

Anyone with information is asked to call the St. John Sheriff’s Office at 985-652-9514 or Crimestoppers at 1-877-903-STOP. Callers will not be asked to give their names.