A Gwinnett County taxi cab driver who fired multiple shots at a customer amid a payment dispute was arrested less than two weeks later at his home, where police found illegal drugs, guns and more than $22,000 in cash, officials said.
Hector Armando Moreno Luzardo, 32, of Buford, was taken into custody late last month after a search warrant was executed at his home, Gwinnett police spokeswoman Officer Hideshi Valle said in a news release. Luzardo is facing three counts of aggravated assault and one count each of discharging a firearm near a public highway, reckless conduct, criminal trespass and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, as well as multiple drug counts.
Luzardo was booked into the Gwinnett jail May 26 and remains there without bond, according to online records.
Police began investigating Luzardo on May 15 when officers were called to the Paramount Apartments on Pleasant Lake Village Lane in Duluth after getting reports of shots fired, Valle said. At the scene, officers spoke with a witness who saw Luzardo dropping off a customer who told the driver he didn’t have enough money to pay his fare, according to an incident report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The witness told police the customer offered to pay Luzardo in beer, the report said. Luzardo became upset and told the customer to hurry up and get his money because he had somewhere to be. When the customer returned with some cash, Luzardo only became angrier and pulled out a handgun, the report said.
Luzardo fired two shots into the apartment building before getting back into his cab and leaving, the report said.
Police were later able to identify Luzardo and secure a search warrant for his home, according to Valle. Officials found $22,600 in cash, a stolen handgun and a stash of illegal drugs, she said. Officers confiscated more than 100 grams of cocaine, 65 grams of methamphetamine and 72 grams of marijuana — enough to charge Luzardo with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, Valle said.
Luzardo was arrested and booked into the Gwinnett jail later that day.
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