Livery Driver Killed, Found Shot In The Head And His Car Stolen In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The NYPD is on the hunt for the person wanted for shooting and killing a livery cab driver.
Family members say he was on the job when he was shot, but they don't know why he was targeted.
Investigators scoured the scene in East New York early Friday morning, trying to figure out who killed 29-year-old Noman Saleemi.
"One of our drivers was shot in the back of the head and his body was dumped right over here," Fernando Mateo said.
"He was dumped there like he was an animal."
The livery driver from Pakistan was just two days from starting his new job at a pharmaceutical company and had plans to get married, but one fatal shot changed all of that.
"He was a great personality," the victim's brother, Rizwan Saleemi said. "He was like so quiet, you know, don't say anything."
His dispatcher at Everywhere Car Service thought he may have been sleeping in his car when he didn't answer for hours.
"My dispatcher called and told me go over there, maybe your brother is for three hours sleeping here, so go check on him," Saleemi said.
"The block was blocked by the police, I asked them what happened. I was like shocked that time and they told me ok he's no more."
The NYPD was alerted by its shot spotter system on Williams and Atlantic Avenues around 3:15 a.m. When officers arrived they found Saleemi dead on the sidewalk.
Now the question is why someone would want him dead.
"Noman picked up a fare at the Resorts Casino, 70-year-old lady. Dropped her off… we don't know what happened after that," Mateo added.
His car is still nowhere to be found.
"He was driving a red Nissan Altima, we don't know what the whereabouts of that vehicle is. His wallet was found five blocks from here," the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers spokesman said.
Police have yet to pin down a motive, but have not ruled out a robbery. The Federation of Taxi Drivers is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
