NYPD searching for passenger who opened fire at livery cab in the Bronx

WILLIAMSBRIDGE, The Bronx (PIX11) – The hunt is on for a gunman who opened fire on a livery cab in the Bronx while the vehicle was moving.

The driver told PIX11 News it was a miracle he was able to dodge the multiple shots, but is now traumatized for life.

Eufelix Jiminian has been a taxi driver for six years. He said the ride with the passenger was about 20 minutes long, but those 20 minutes changed his life completely.

The passenger, wearing a ski mask, pulled out a gun and shot at his SUV after jumping out of the moving vehicle. The dashboard camera captured the moments, he said, he thought his life was coming to an end.

Jiminian showed PIX11 News the spots where five bullets impacted his vehicle. A bullet remains in one of the backlights.

The 26-year-old driver said the passenger first started to argue over the drop-off location.
Jiminian said that once he began to drive to a second location, he noticed the man's aggressive behavior and unlocked the vehicle.

He saw through the side mirror that the man pulled out a gun. That is when he accelerated and drove away. The gunman fled after opening fire.

"Don’t pick up people with ski masks on if you can’t see them don’t’ pick them up," said Fernando Mateo, of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers.

"When you arrest a guy like this don’t let him out on the streets again. Keep him in for a long time," he added.

Police said it happened at around 4 a.m. on Bronx Boulevard near East 219th Street in Williamsbridge. Authorities describe the suspect as 19-25 years old with a light complexion and slim build.

The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers is offering a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.