Police: 3 In Custody After Yellow Cab Driver Slashed In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police said three people are in custody after a yellow cab driver was slashed early Thursday morning. Police said the trio also attacked another victim shortly after.
Mustafa Kadro has a slash mark on his forehead from where police said a passenger attacked him around 3:30 a.m. in Williamsburg.
"It was gushing lots of blood from my forehead. That's why I was afraid it was a deep cut," Kadro told CBS2's Andrea Grymes.
Kadro said he feels lucky that the slashing on his forehead isn't worse than it is.
"I'm doing okay. Only thing is you get nervous and angry," he said.
The cab driver said he picked up three passengers near Union Avenue and Lorimer Street. He said they originally didn't have enough money for the fare, but he ended up offering them a free ride, taking them to North 5th Street and Wythe Avenue, where they asked to go.
"And I said, 'OK guys, have a good night.' All of the sudden, one of them managed to put his hand and slashed my forehead," he said. "I put the car in drive and run away because I don't want them to run after me or whatever, so then I called police."
He said the passenger sitting in the middle is the one who slashed him.
Police said about 10 minutes after the attack, the three suspects put a 25-year-old man in a chokehold and stole his cell phone a few blocks away at South 2nd Street and Wythe Avenue.
"I'm actually shocked because I didn't think that could happen around here," said Williamsburg resident Daphnee Louissaint.
"That's the first I've heard of that, but yeah, I always feel safe here," said Jeff Matthews.
Police do not believe the cab driver and passengers got into a fight before the attack. They said charges are pending against the three suspects, who are all in their 20s.
Kadro said he's so proud the NYPD quickly made arrests.
