Robbers driving a taxi, police warn

Four people who hailed cabs in the early-morning hours last month were taken on a wild ride at gunpoint when the hack and his accomplice turned out to be armed robbers, police said yesterday.

They warned city riders to beware, especially if there is a passenger up front with the cab driver. All the victims were college-aged.

"We're asking people to be very aware of their surroundings," said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore.

The first incident was reported at 2:45 a.m. Sept. 2 in the 100 block of Spring Garden Street. The next incident was 2:30 a.m. Sept. 22 at Walnut and 40th Streets. The last two incidents were reported Saturday at 2:05 a.m. at 12th and Walnut Streets and 2:33 a.m. at 10th and Walnut.

"In all these incidents, people were hailing cabs," Vanore said.

Central Detectives Lt. Richard Brown said it appears the robbers are using a real cab that had been put out of service.

It is described as a black Ford Crown Victoria with a white logo. Victims, including one from the University of Pennsylvania, told police that when they got into the cab, there was a passenger up front with a goatee.

Brown said once the cab began moving, the passenger pulled a gun and the victims were driven to automated teller machines and ordered to withdraw cash. In some cases, Brown said, the victims were driven to more than one machine before they were dropped off.

None of the victims have been harmed, police said.

Penn students have been warning one another on campus, and yesterday's edition of the Daily Pennsylvanian carried a story about the robberies. University officials refused to comment and referred all questions to Philadelphia police.

Anyone who spots the cab or is a victim in Center City is asked to call Central Detectives at 215-686-3093 or Southwest Detectives at 215-686-3183.