A man suspected of pulling a gun on a taxi driver and refusing to pay his fare following a cab ride through the East County early Wednesday was arrested a short time later while trying to hide on a nearby roadside.
Armando Rivera, 36, allegedly threatened the cabbie with a pistol and ran off without paying in the Lake Murray area of La Mesa about 2:15 a.m., according to police.
In response to the driver’s 911 call, patrol personnel searched the area, soon finding Rivera huddled behind a utility box in the 5700 block of Lake Murray Boulevard, said Lt. Chad Bell. Officers took him into custody on suspicion of armed robbery.
No firearm was found, the lieutenant said.
Rivera was being held at San Diego Central Jail on $100,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Friday afternoon.
— City News Service
