Taxi driver fatally beaten at Hollywood gas station; police search for suspect
A taxi cab driver died early Sunday after he was beaten by a passenger at a gas station in Hollywood, police said.
The attacker remained at large as detectives canvassed the 76 gas station at Franklin Avenue and Beachwood Drive, where the Yellow Cab vehicle was cordoned off with police tape.
Officers were called at about 3 a.m. to the gas station in Franklin Village, at the foot of the Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles police Officer Norma Eisenman said.
After the cab pulled into the gas station, the driver and the suspect had a dispute that escalated to a physical altercation, Eisenman said.
Both men exited the car and the assailant punched and kicked the driver.
“The cab driver was struck several times,” LAPD Lt. John Radtke told KTLA-TV. “That fight lead into the gas station parking lot and then the victim fell down, and possibly hit his head.”
The attacker fled on foot, heading eastbound on Franklin Avenue.
The driver, described as 45 to 50 years old, was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Eisenman said. His identity was not released pending notification of his family.
Radtke described the suspect as a white or Middle Eastern man with thick, dark hair and standing about 5 foot, 8 inches. He was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
For more news in California, follow @MattHjourno.
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