Carnapper Arrested on EDSA After Traffic Jam Foils Escape
CARNAPPER – A 44-year-old man was arrested on Sunday afternoon, February 1, in Quezon City after attempting to carnap a taxi along Imperial Street in Cubao.
According to Lt. Col. Joy Leanza, head of the Cubao Police Station, the suspect initially hired the taxi along Mindanao Avenue, claiming he needed to go to a bus terminal in Cubao. He later asked the driver to take a detour to visit a cousin near Nepa Q-Mart.
It was during this detour, near Imperial Street, that the suspect attempted the carnap the taxi, pointing an ice pick at the 64-year-old driver. The driver quickly stopped the vehicle to prevent harm. He recalled that the suspect had asked him to stop, which he assumed was to pay the fare. Instead, the suspect brandished the ice pick, prompting the driver to act swiftly to avoid being stabbed. In a struggle, the driver managed to hold the suspect’s hand, and the suspect eventually forced him out of the taxi.
Coincidentally, a security guard on a motorcycle passed by and joined the pursuit. The suspect drove the taxi onto EDSA but became trapped in traffic. He abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot toward the nearby Q-Mart, only to be apprehended by police stationed in the area.
The suspect admitted to taking the taxi but claimed he did not intend to harm the driver. He explained that he made the driver get out and took his cellphone, insisting that while he held the ice pick, it was not meant to injure anyone.
Police also noted that the suspect had previously been imprisoned in 2023 for a case related to illegal drugs. He is now in the custody of the Cubao Police Station and faces charges under the New Anti-Carnapping Act.