Updated at 3:50 p.m. April 13, 2016
A man who allegedly attacked a taxi driver on an East County roadside last week after being ordered out of the victim’s cab for being hostile was behind bars Wednesday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
Philip Lamar Christmas, 26, was arrested Tuesday at his San Diego workplace in connection with the alleged April 4 assault, according to police.
The dispute between the two men erupted after the cabbie noticed Christmas behaving in an angry and belligerent manner in the back of the vehicle during a late-evening ride through La Mesa, LMPD Lt. Chad Bell alleged.
Growing uncomfortable with the passenger’s demeanor, the driver pulled over in the 3800 block of Massachusetts Avenue and asked him to get out. Christmas allegedly became confrontational, and both men stepped out of the car.
During an ensuing argument, Christmas allegedly pulled some type of cutting tool or weapon and slashed the cabbie on the chest, then fled.
Medics took the injured driver to a hospital for treatment of a minor wound.
Christmas was booked into San Diego Central Jail. He was being held on $30,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
— City News Service