DeKalb County police have images of the man they believe was the last person to ride in a taxi before the driver was found shot to death.
Zenon Perez, 56, was shot once in his vehicle late on July 14 and was found dead after crashing on Henderson Mill Road about 11:20 p.m., Detective Doug Paden told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Now, investigators are looking to identify a person of interest in the case.
Police released images Thursday of the man, who was seen riding a MARTA train. He got into Perez’s cab outside the Chamblee station, where Perez often waited, looking for passengers, Paden believes.
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What happened between then and Perez’s death is somewhat of a mystery, and Paden said the person in the images may or may not be a suspect. The man may have been dropped off before the shooting and might have nothing to do with the crime.
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“We believe this person of interest was his last fare and the last person to have any contact with the victim,” Paden said.
The shooting also could have been the result of random gunfire from the street. Perez was shot once in his left bicep, but the bullet continued into the left side of his chest.
His car then grazed a tree and crashed into the sign for the Sierra Hills apartment complex near the Embry Hills neighborhood.
The motive could have been a robbery, but Perez was found with money still on him, Paden said. Investigators are also considering whether the shooting was the result of a fare dispute.
“Somebody knows this guy, and we would love to sit down and talk to him,” Paden said. “Hopefully he can answer some of the questions that we have.”
Anyone with information on his identity is asked to contact DeKalb police at 770-724-7850 or Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477).
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