Cab driver punched in face when rider refuses to pay, cops say. Search for man is on
A search for a man suspected of punching a cab driver in the face remains underway, Maine police said.
After arriving at the University of Maine campus in Orono, a customer refused to pay his cab driver for the ride, according to a warning posted to Facebook by the University of Maine Police Department on Monday, Nov. 28. The customer then ran from the car without paying, police said, and the cab driver followed him.
While attempting to get the man to pay, a fight broke out and the cab driver was punched in the face, police said. The customer also brandished a knife at the driver during the altercation, according to police.
Once the man showed his knife, the two split up and the driver “left the area,” according to police.
Police responded to the scene at about 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 28 to take a report of the assault and robbery, according to the warning. The cab driver told police the incident occurred at about 12:45 a.m. that day.
The customer was described as being a short man who was wearing a black hoodie, black pants and white sneakers, according to police. He also had a black suitcase, police said.
Police warned the University of Maine community to remain cautious on campus, but they also assured the assault was an “isolated incident with no immediate threat to the public.”
The University of Maine declined to comment further on the incident to McClatchy News because it is an “ongoing criminal investigation.”
For anyone who may have details to identify the suspect, the university’s police department recommends calling 207-581-4040.
Orono is about 10 miles northeast of Bangor.
This story was originally published November 30, 2023 at 11:15 AM with the headline "Cab driver punched in face when rider refuses to pay, cops say. Search for man is on."
