The Eastern Police District (EPD) has once again warned people to be careful when riding in cabs after a taxi driver was arrested for trying to drug a passenger earlier this week.
Dominador Obsenarez, 38, a driver of Tricon taxi, was charged with attempted robbery after barangay watchmen caught him trying to prevent a passenger from leaving his cab.
Investigation showed that the victim, identified as Micah Crystel Sual, 18, a resident of Pasig City, flagged down the suspect’s taxi (TWJ 743) on Thursday night.
She told the police that the taxi was running on Amang Rodriguez Avenue near the corner of East Bank Road when she noticed a strange smell inside the cab.
A few minutes later, she felt dizzy and numb and asked the driver to pull over to the side of the road. However, instead of stopping, Obsenarez pulled her back when she tried to get out of the taxi.
Barangay watchmen who were on patrol saw what was happening and rushed to the cab. They arrested Obsenarez and took the victim to the Pasig Police Station.
Seized from the suspect were two face towels and a bottle of mineral water containing a still unknown substance. The EPD said that its crime laboratory was analyzing the chemical found in the bottle.
Following the incident, the EPD advised passengers to sit in the back seat and keep a safe distance from the driver and to text the plate number of the taxi to a family member or friend.