‘Persons of interest’ sought in slaying of cabdriver
A cabdriver was shot and killed Friday morning in the east valley, and Las Vegas police are looking for two people caught on the cab's camera moments before he died.
Police said the slaying happened about 3:30 a.m. in the 6300 block of High Sierra Avenue, near Mt. Hood Street and Carey Avenue.
The man, who was not identified by authorities, was shot multiple times. His body was found next to the cab.
Police on Friday night released images captured by the car's camera of a young man and woman in the back seat of the vehicle right before the driver was shot. Authorities are asking for the public's help in identifying the two people, who were described as "persons of interest."
Homicide Lt. Lew Roberts said the motive appears to be robbery.
"It's still a very fluid investigation," he said.
Police are looking for four men who fled the scene after an altercation with the driver. The suspects possibly were driving a silver Ford Thunderbird or Taurus.
A spokeswoman with the Nevada Taxicab Authority said the man had been driving for three months.
Scott Killebrew, director of security for Frias Transportation Management, which operates the cab, said the driver did not violate policy.
"He was just out there pushing a cab, working a graveyard shift and trying to make an honest living," he said. "They shot him, and now he's dead."
Killebrew said cabdriver slayings have decreased drastically since implementation of new safety procedures, including in-cab cameras.
According to Taxicab Authority guidelines, drivers are required to attend an eight-hour training session before they receive a permit. In that training they are instructed to always comply with demands of an assailant.
Several residents on High Sierra said they heard gunshots but did not witness the slaying or recognize the victim.
Anyone with information on the crime or the identity of the two people caught on camera is encouraged to call the department's homicide section at 828-3521 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 385-5555.
Contact reporter Mike Blasky at mblasky@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283.
