Carjacking Investigation

On Saturday, May 13th 2017 at approximately 2140hrs the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting a pedestrian on the highway waving down cars.  P.O. Anthony Burgos #398 responded to the location southbound Palisades Interstate Parkway, south of the Tenafly/Englewood Cliffs border.  He located a older Indian male and another subject later identified as an off duty NYPD officer.  The victim reported that he was operating a green NYC taxi when he picked up a passenger at East 125th St and 2nd Ave in Manhattan.  During the fare his passenger kidnapped him and forced him out of the vehicle.  During the investigation it was determined that the victim picked up the passenger at and was originally to end the fare at 179th St and Fort Washington Ave in Manhattan.  Once at this location, the passenger ordered the victim to relinquish his cell phone and money and then forced him out of the taxi.  The victim refused to exit the taxi and the passenger then ordered the victim to drive over the George Washington Bridge and onto northbound Palisades Interstate Parkway, all while threatening the use of a handgun.

At some point near interchange 1 in the Englewood Cliffs NJ Section, the passenger forced the victim out of the taxi.  The passenger fled the scene with the taxi and the victim then attempted to wave down traffic.  Unsuccessful, the victim crossed the highway and began waving traffic on the southbound side.  An off duty NYC officer stopped and contacted this agency.

The fleeing vehicle, still unrecovered, is described as a 2017 Toyota RAV4 with lime green NYC taxi color and markings and NY Registration: T530268C.  Any person with information or sighting this vehicle should contact 9-1-1 or this agency at 201-768-6001 reference case PI-17-0014288.

5-15-17 UPDATE

The vehicle listed in this release has been recovered by the Clarkstown NY Police Department and is being processed.  The suspect is still at large.