Aurora Police Search For Men Who Robbed Cabbies

AURORA, Ill. (STMW) -- West suburban police are searching for information on a pair of robberies where taxi drivers were held at knifepoint in the last two weeks.

Both robberies--believed to be related--happened after a cab driver picked someone up from the Aurora Transportation Center, 233 N. Broadway Ave., a statement from Aurora police said.

In the first robbery, a 54-year-old cab driver picked up another man, about 28, from the Transportation Center on Feb. 14 around 6:45 p.m., police said.

When the cab driver dropped the man off at his destination in the 200 block of West Downer Place, he held the driver at knifepoint and demanded money, police said. The two struggled before the driver was able to leave his vehicle, police said.

The robber, who took the driver's wallet and cell phone, drove the taxi away, and police found it vacant minutes later at the corner of Downer Place and South River Street, police said.

The robber in this incident was described as a 160-pound, 5-foot-8 to 6-foot white man with brown hair, police said. He was wearing a black skull cap and dark-colored clothes on the evening of the burglary.

Nine days later, on Feb. 23, a 51-year-old cab driver picked up a man at 6:10 p.m. from the Transportation Center and drove him to the 400 block of West Downer Place, police said.

Like the first robbery, the customer held the cab driver at knifepoint when they got to the destination and demanded cash, police said. The driver was able to move the knife away from his throat and run from the vehicle, police said.

The alleged burglar took off with the taxi, which police once again found vacant in the 0-100 block of South River Street. Police said he stole an undisclosed amount of cash, a cell phone and a laptop.

He was described as a 6-foot-2, 280-pound white or Hispanic man of large build with green or light brown eyes and scruffy facial hair, police said. He was wearing a gray winter hat and gray or black jacket on the night of the incident.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)