Full Notification

At approximately 1:10 a.m. this morning, May 7, 2016 a taxi cab driver was carjacked at knifepoint in the 200 block of Old Mill Road located in the unincorporated area of Santa Barbara County near the El Sueno Road exit.  The male suspect had hailed a cab on State Street in downtown Santa Barbara and directed the female taxi driver to turn onto Old Mill Road and stop in the 200 block. The suspect then put a knife to the back of the victim’s neck and demanded cash. The victim gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash and exited the taxi cab.  The suspect then drove off in the taxi cab.  After he left, the victim yelled for help and a citizen in the area heard her and called 911.

Approximately 30 minutes later, Sheriff’s deputies located the taxi cab in the parking lot of Albertsons in the 7100 block of Hollister Avenue in the City of Goleta.  Sheriff’s deputies searched the area with the assistance of a K-9 team but were not able to locate the suspect.

The victim described the suspect as wearing all black clothing and his accent as Middle Eastern.  If you have any information that would assist investigators in this case, you are asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 805-683-2724.  To leave an anonymous tip, call 805-681-4171.