Two stolen taxicabs were located and one robbery suspect was captured because GPS tracking devices were installed on the taxicabs.
Stolen Taxicab Tracked in Denver
In the first incident, a man was arrested in Denver, CO this past Wednesday after law enforcement officials said he stole a taxi, robbed a convenience store and then led police officers on a chase that ended when he crashed the cab into a tree in a park.
The suspect stole an orange Union Taxi mini-van and then drove it to the Diamond Shamrock convenience store at around 1 a.m., according to a local police report.
The man robbed the convenience store and then took off in the stolen cab. The taxi was equipped with a GPS tracking device, allowing police to track the precise location of the vehicle. The suspect led officers on a chase. The chase ended with the cab going off the street and onto a sidewalk, where he then smashed into a tree near downtown Denver.
The police took the man into custody and the suspect was taken to a hospital to have his injuries checked out.
Stolen Taxicab Found in San Antonio
In a similar incident, a cab driver had his taxi stolen from him at gunpoint in San Antonio, TX.
Cesar Alvarez told police he picked up a fare at a motel around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. After driving the man to his destination, he found himself staring into the barrel of a gun.
“He said get (out),” said Alvarez. “I saw the gun. He was in the back seat. And I said, ‘All right. Sure.’ He didn’t take any money or anything. He just took the cab.” Alvarez said he was shaken up, but otherwise he was not harmed.
Within roughly 30 minutes, San Antonio police officers found the cab in a parking lot about a mile from where Alvarez had originally picked up the man.
“It was parked. It was abandoned,” said Sgt. Daniel Gonzalez with San Antonio Police Department.
Although Gonzalez said police officers stumbled upon the stolen taxicab by chance, Alvarez believes the quick discovery was due to the fact that a GPS tracking device was attached to his cab.
“It was the GPS,” Alvarez said. “It has a GPS.”
Police said the carjacker got away despite the use of helicopters and officers on the ground searching for him.
It’s been a rough start to the New Year for taxi drivers. Thankfully, they were able to locate their stolen cabs with the help of GPS technology.
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