VIDEO: North Lauderdale Taxicab Ride Ends In Gunpoint

By Jessica Mcfadyen Last updated Sep 25, 2022 Share with new partner:

Surveillance video inside the taxicab shows the driver calling for a second cab and asking the subject to wait outside. The passenger refuses to leave and demands that the driver returns to the original pickup location.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 23, 2022, 3:14 PM: Through investigative means, detectives identified 18-year-old Omarion Samuel, of Sunrise, as the suspect in the treacherous taxicab ride. On Thursday, Sept. 22, Samuel was arrested by Broward Sheriff’s detectives and taken to Broward Sheriff’s Office Mail Jail. He faces charges related to aggravated assault, armed kidnapping, possessing a firearm by a delinquent and carrying a concealed weapon.

NORTH LAUDERDALE, FL – A man held a taxicab driver at gunpoint after refusing to pay the cab fare, and detectives with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Unit are asking for the public’s help to identify and locate this armed subject.

According to authorities, the crime occurred around 1:32 a.m., Monday, July 4. A preliminary investigation revealed the cab driver picked up the male passenger named “James” near the 7800 block of Southwest Eighth Street in North Lauderdale. Once the passenger was inside the taxicab, the driver drove off and explained that full payment of the cab fare was required before being transported. That’s when investigators say the subject became irate, demanded another cab, and pulled a gun on the driver.

Surveillance video inside the taxicab shows the driver calling for a second cab and asking the subject to wait outside. The passenger refuses to leave and demands that the driver returns to the original pickup location. A few minutes later, the driver is seen with his hands held up, begging for his life. The victim says to the gunman, “please, don’t kill me,” before crashing into a parked car. The cab driver then returns to the original location, and the gunman exits the cab without paying the fare.

Investigators are asking anyone with information on the gunman’s identity and location to contact Det. Lacey Fitzpatrick at 954-321-4328 or to submit a tip through the SaferWatch App. If you wish to remain anonymous, please contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477), online at browardcrimestoppers.org, or dial **TIPS (8477) from any cellphone in the United States.