Police Ask the Public's Help in Finding Hammer Wielding Woman

Investigators were seeking the public's help today in locating a woman who wielded a hammer and a box cutter when she attempted to rob a cab driver in Long Beach.

The crime happened around 3:15 a.m. on Sept. 26, police said.

Officers called to the intersection of Anaheim Street and Redondo Avenue learned that the taxi driver picked up the suspect in the area of Seventh Street and Termino Avenue and drive to the14th Street and Newport Avenue, but before getting out of the cab, the woman reached through the glass divider and menaced the cabby with a box cutter, demanding money, police said.

During an ensuing struggle, the woman pulled out a hammer and tried to strike the cab driver in the face, according to police.

The driver accelerated and the cab struck a parked car, at which time the suspect got out and fled.

Police released video of the woman inside the cab, which was equipped with a camera and audio recorder. She is described as black and 20-25 years old. She was wearing a brown knit hat and a light-colored hoodie.

The cabby, meanwhile, was treated at the scene for a cut to one of his hands and released.

Anyone with information about the suspect was urged to contact Long Beach police Detective Fermin Gonzalez at (562) 570-7464. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS.

-- City News Service