Two confirmed carjackings of Atlanta cabdrivers over the holiday weekend may be linked, say police.
"In both of our cases we had three young black males identified as suspects and the method of operation certainly appears to be the same," Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said.
Both cabbies were robbed at gunpoint in separate incidents that occurred late Friday night and early Saturday morning on Boulevard and North Avenue, respectively. Campos said the APD plans "step up patrols and surveillance of taxi stands throughout the city."
The carjackings were among a number of incidents involving cabbies over the holiday weekend. Campos disputed an earlier report quoting Luke Azubuike, president of the Atlanta Taxicab Industry Association, as saying there had been eight robberies of cabbies in the city alone. There appears to have been at least that many in the metro area, however.
"APD investigators are working with law enforcement in [DeKalb and Clayton counties] following reports of similar robberies," Campos said.
DeKalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said Monday she is still gathering information from various precincts.
"Several would be accurate," she said when asked how many DeKalb cabdrivers had been victimized.
Meanwhile, a veteran Clayton cabbie told the AJC Monday that he required 14 staples to close a head wound after he was pistol whipped and robbed just before midnight Saturday.
That incident involved only two men, said Walters, who was robbed of $35 -- $18 of which came from the suspects, who paid for their ride to the Lexington Square Townhouses in advance.
" ‘Shoot him, shoot him,' " said Walters, recounting the words of one of his attackers. "I begged him. ‘Look, I got a family. I got kids.' "
The accomplice hesitated, Walters said, handing the pistol over to his partner. By then, the cabbie, bloodied but still conscious, was able to loosen his safety belt and leap out of the car, lunging for the gun.
The suspects escaped on foot and remain at large.
Azubuike, a 20-year Atlantan, told the AJC he's never heard of so many cabdriver robberies in such a short period of time.
"This is very, very unusual," said Azubuike, who has put the word out to drivers to be on alert.
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