'Choking me and scratching me': 82-year-old cab driver attacked by passenger
An 82-year-old taxi cab driver was allegedly choked by a passenger she was dropping off.
The suspect was arrested and charged with one count of battery by strangulation.
The driver is sharing her story to warn other taxi, Uber and Lyft drivers to be aware of their surroundings.
What we know
ORLANDO, Fla. - The alleged attack happened on May 2. Carol Ann Johnson was called to Circles of Care for a normal passenger pick up and drop off. Johnson says during these pickups, people released form the care facility have to be dropped off at home.
This passenger, identified by police as Laway Meharie, didn't want go home and was telling Johnson to drop her off. The driver said after she started screaming in the back seat, she started choking her during the drive. Johnson fought for her life and tried to get other driver's attention by waiving her arms and yelling for help.
Thankfully, she was able to pull off near North Babcock and East Brevard. Someone had called 911 seeing her in danger, and Melbourne police weren't far away.
The suspect was arrested without incident, and Johnson is healing.
What they're saying
Johnson considers herself a survivor and is glad the suspect was arrested.
"She was reaching through the seats there with her hands around my neck choking me and scratching me and just trying to do me harm," said Carol Ann Johnson.
She wants other drivers to be aware and says more needs to be done to make sure dangerous people are off the street.
"She shouldn't be on the street. You know, she's I would say criminally insane and willing to do harm to someone," said Johnson.
The state attorney's office is working to assign a prosecutor to the case and moving forward with the charges.
What we don't know
It's unclear why exactly the suspect started choking Johnson. Police say, when they arrived on scene she was speaking gibberish, and officers couldn't communicate with her.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:
Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines
Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar
Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines
FOX Local: Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV
The Source
FOX 35's Reporter Esther Bower read the police arrest report for the suspect. She emailed with the state attorney's office to get an update on where things stood with the case post arrest. She met the driver on 5/23 to discuss the attack and how she's healing.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Inmate mistakenly released from New Orleans jail where 10 escaped
Authorities in New Orleans say they are on the hunt for an inmate who was released by mistake from the same jail where 10 broke out earlier this year. Authorities don't know whether Khalil Bryan, 30, was aware he was being released by mistake from the Orleans Justice Center on July 25, but said he was being put on notice with the announcement that he is a fugitive, said New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick. Bryan was being held on charges including possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer, and also had an active warrant for aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic abuse, child endangerment and home invasion, Kirkpatrick said. The error comes as the jail and the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office are still reeling from the escape of 10 inmates in the early morning hours of May 16 when authorities say the inmates exited through a hole in a cell wall after ripping out a toilet. One of those inmates, convicted killer Derrick Groves, has yet to be recaptured. "I do want to make an appeal to Mr. Bryan, even though it was a mistaken release from custody, you are on notice you are a fugitive. I'm going to ask that you turn yourself in," Kirkpatrick said at a news conference, adding that Bryan could face additional charges. The release stemmed from a case of mistaken identity, when Bryan was confused with another inmate with a similar last name, said Sheriff Susan Hutson. Hutson said the jail's system has ways to catch such discrepancies, but the release was due to "human error." An investigation and review of protocols is underway and disciplinary action would be forthcoming, she said. "I want to make a sincere apology to the people of New Orleans. The mistaken release of Khalil Bryan was a serious error and as sheriff I take full responsibility," Hutson said. "I want the public to know this should not have happened. It was a failure of internal processes and the public has every right to expect better." Still, Hutson said mistakes do sometimes happen in a system that processes 11,000 inmates every year. The New Orleans Police Department's violent offender squad was actively searching for Bryan, Kirkpatrick said. Anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should contact authorities, she said. Anyone found to be harboring him may also face charges. 1 of 10 inmates still at large in New Orleans jailbreak Groves, 27, is the last remaining inmate who broke out in May still on the run. The last arrest of those fugitives was made in June, nearly six weeks after the escape. Some were nabbed by authorities as far away as Texas. The nine inmates who have been recaptured all pleaded not guilty to charges related to the escape on July 23, the Louisiana Attorney General's Office said. Groves was convicted of two charges of second-degree murder and two charges of attempted second-degree murder in October in connection with a shooting during Mardi Gras in 2018. Groves also has been awaiting sentencing on a manslaughter charge since October. Since the escape, at least 16 other people have been arrested and accused of helping the inmates break out or stay on the run, including family members and at least one jail employee. Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Orleans jail mistakenly releases inmate, manhunt underway
Bloomberg
10 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Allianz Life Says Majority of Customers' Data Stolen in Breach
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America said it suffered a system breach on July 16 that affected a majority of its 1.4 million customers. A 'malicious threat actor' gained access to a third-party, cloud-based system used by Allianz and obtained personally identifiable data related to the majority of customers as well as financial professionals and some employees, the insurer said in an emailed statement.
CBS News
12 minutes ago
- CBS News
13-year-old threatens man with flare gun, tries to steal van using a screwdriver, Delaware State Police say
A 13-year-old boy was arrested after trying to steal a Ford Transit van from the Harry O. Eisenberg Elementary School in New Castle, Delaware, on Tuesday. According to Delaware State Police, a 64-year-old man went out to his Ford Transit in the school parking lot just before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, where he found 3-4 teens in the van. The man confronted the teens and ran after them once they tried to get away. The 13-year-old boy pointed an orange flare gun at the 64-year-old, who eventually caught up to him. State police said the boy then punched the man. State police took the 13-year-old into custody and recovered the flare gun. The boy is charged with attempting to commit theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, aggravated menacing, as well as other offenses, according to state police. Investigators later discovered the Ford van's driver's side door was damaged by the teens, and a screwdriver had been shoved into the ignition. "This type of damage is consistent with the nationwide trend of vehicles being stolen using a screwdriver," state police said in an announcement about the investigation. The 13-year-old was sent to the New Castle County Detention Center. The other teens were not found and have yet to be identified. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Corporal W. Beinke at Troop 2 by calling (302) 834-2620.
