A cabbie who was accused of stabbing a passenger last month turned himself in to police Monday morning.
Sandy de Jesus Rodriguez turned himself into the 46th Precinct in the Fordham section of the Bronx.
The cab driver claims he didn’t stab the man, and that’s there more to the story, CBS reports.
CBS reports that surveillance footage from October 13 shows a fight between two men in the lobby of a building located on Webster Avenue near E. 184th street. In the footage, a man believed to be the cabbie is holding a sharp object which was waved at the other man a few times.
There is also another person in the video.
Police sources told CBS that the driver followed the 21-year-old passenger home, demanding he pay the fare. It was reported that after the man refused, the driver allegedly stabbed him in the lower abdomen.
The Taxi Federation is saying that the above is not true. They told outlets that the driver was the victim. The man and the woman is also seen in footage failed to pay their fare and allegedly robbed Rodriguez.
NYS FTD spokesperson Fernando Mateo told outlets on Sunday that, “The people that should be arrested live in this building. They’re the ones that robbed him. They’re the ones that didn’t pay his fare. They’re the ones that tried to assault him.”
Mateo continued, “The guy came towards him, and he pulled out a pocket knife that he uses to eat his oranges and apples in the car. He used the knife to try to keep the guy away from him because he was afraid the guy was going to beat him up.”
Mateo added that “Most importantly, we want to see the hospital records. We want to know why this guy is saying that he stabbed him when he did not.”
It was reported that the passenger was treated at the hospital but did not file a report since he allegedly considered his injuries minor.
Rodriguez also shared a statement that said, “The only mistake I made was trying to get the $190 the female passenger stole from me. I should have taken the loss and drove away, but it was hard not bringing food to my table.”
The statement continued, “I hope that they are held responsible for what they did. I want the detectives to get the medical records that will prove that I never stabbed him.”
ABC reports that Rodriguez has been charged with assault, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon.
