Livery driver Carlos Infante, 61, went to pick up a couple on Webster Avenue near East Gun Hill Road in Norwood on March 17, just before 6:00am, but the pair were arguing when he arrived, according to police. Infante unsuccessfully tried to intervene during the dispute, and eventually, the woman jumped into the car. Infante – who had been a Livery driver for 24 years – requested she get out, sending her male companion into a rage. He punched Infante him in the face and eye, knocking him unconscious and severely damaging his eye, cops said. The assailants also robbed Infante of $600, according to reports.
When Infante regained consciousness, he called 911 and drove himself to Bronx Lebanon Hospital, where he waited for surgery to reconstruct his left eye socket.
The man who allegedly punched Infante is around 45 years old, 5 feet 8 inches and 180 pounds with dreadlocks, cops said. The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers is offering a $3,000 reward for any information leading to an arrest.
A rally, organized by the Federation, was held outside Bronx Lebanon Hospital on March 20 to protest the brutal assault. The next day, Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell visited The Bronx to discuss the launch of Neighborhood Safety Teams across NYC.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
Sources: The New York Post, Norwood News
