Just days after two young men attacked a cab driver in Thompson on Dec. 28, RCMP are asking looking for the public's assistance in two other taxicab robberies, one that happened on Dec. 30 and one on Jan. 1.
On Jan. 1, a 37-year-old cab driver was confronted with a knife by a young man after dropping him off in the Eastwood area. The driver was not injured and managed to drive away from the suspect with nothing being stolen. The driver has described the suspect as a young male wearing dark coloured clothing and a black neck warmer.
An almost identical incident took place on Dec. 30, at around 5:45 p.m., when a 61-year-old cab driver was threatened with a knife by two customers while he went to drop them off in the area around R. D. Parker Collegiate. Police say the driver was not injured in the attack but the two suspects were able to flee on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. The alleged suspects are both described as young men wearing dark clothing, one of whom had his face covered wit a black neck warmer. Around 10:50 p.m. on Dec. 28 a 21-year-old cab driver was attacked by the two young men in his cab while dropping them off in the Eastwood area of Thompson. Police say the driver was not injured in the attack but the two suspects did manage to escape with an undisclosed amount of money. According to the RCMP, the two suspects are young men, one of whom was wearing all black and the other white and black shoes, black pants, a white hoodies and a black jacket with a black neck warmer and toque. Both males also had brown coloured fur around the hoods of their jackets.
RCMP say they believe the same suspects are responsible for all of the attempted robberies.The cab driver's in-car camera captured digital photos of all of the suspects. The Thompson RCMP are asking anyone with information on who the individuals might be to come forward and contact the detachment at 677-6909 or talk anonymously with Manitoba Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.This is not the first time an incident like this has happened in Thompson. A cab driver suffering facial injuries and taken to hospital after being assaulted by a passenger on July 5. In that case, the assault took place outside 15 Ashberry Pl., with the suspect fleeing the area with an undisclosed amount of money. Digital photos from the cab's in-car camera were also used in that case. As well, on Dec. 29, 2008 a taxi driver was held up here in an armed robbery. The suspect turned himself into the Thompson RCMP on Dec. 31, 2008, the same day a series of photos of the suspect, taken by a security camera in the taxi, was published by the Thompson Citizen, along with the details. RCMP received a number of calls identifying the suspect. Police began searching for the man and, perhaps figuring it was only a matter of time, he turned himself in.
