Cabbie who dragged student may have other victims

The cabbie being hunted by Quezon City policemen for allegedly dragging a female student last week could have run away from several vehicular mishaps and may be the subject of an arrest warrant.

Court documents showed that the plate number (TWC-897) attached to the taxicab, which was earlier traced to an Isuzu jeepney owned by Nicolas Wilma Perez of Pag-asa in Quezon City, has been involved in many other traffic incidents.

The driver of the jeepney, identified as Regalado Aldea Jr. of Barangay Bahay Toro, is facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property in relation to an incident involving a Toyota Revo on Mindanao Avenue last June 2007.

Senior Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula, director of Quezon City Police District (QCPD), said their hunt for the cabbie is still ongoing and he has instructed his men to arrest the driver of any vehicle caught carrying the subject license plate.

A report filed with the QCPD-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit said the incident happened at around 2 a.m. last Nov. 22 when the student boarded a KUL taxi after attending a late-night activity at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila.

Upon reaching their house in Sta. Mesa Heights in Quezon City, the victim gave P1,000 as her fare for the taxi ride.

The driver allegedly dropped the P1,000 bill, produced three P20 bills and told the victim’s mother, who was waiting at the gate, that the student paid him P60.

But the student told her mother that she paid P1,000 and that the cabbie did not want to give her the change. The mother attempted to seek the help of village watchmen at a nearby outpost, prompting the driver to speed off with the student still in the vehicle.

Along Retiro Street, the victim opened the door of the taxicab and attempted to jump off but the driver grabbed her arm even if she was halfway out of the vehicle.

The driver finally let go of the victim’s arm, causing her to fall to the street. As a result, she sustained scrapes on her knees and hands and hit her face on the road.