Man accused of stabbing taxi driver in Vélez-Málaga in police custody without bail

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The 19-year-old resident of Almáchar is under investigation for attempted murder and armed robbery after the incident which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday 26 May near a petrol station in the eastern Costa del Sol town

Eugenio Cabezas

The 19-year-old arrested after allegedly stabbing a taxi driver in Vélez-Málaga on the easten Costa del Sol on Tuesday 26 May has ... been remanded in custody, without bail, following the judge's decision at the courts in the town.

The suspect is accused of attempted murder and armed robbery, after the attack in the early hours of Tuesday morning near a petrol station in the Axarquía town.

The accused did not appear in court, while the 26-year-old victim from Torre del Mar did make a statement during the hearing, according to judicial sources.

The attacker threatened him, according to the recording: "Give me everything you have, get out of here or I'll kill you"

The events occurred at around 1.40am on Tuesday morning, when the taxi driver was taking a 19-year-old man, a resident of Almáchar and of Spanish nationality, to Torre del Mar. During the journey, according to sources close to the investigation, the client first punched him and then stabbed him twice with a knife in the chest and armpit area.

The attack was recorded by the security camera installed inside the taxi. In the images, to which SUR had access, the driver can be heard trying to calm the assailant and offering him the money while trying to hold his arm to avoid further stab wounds. "Give me everything you have, get out of here or I'll kill you," the attacker threatened him, according to the recording.

After the attack, the alleged assailant stole a small bag containing some 500 euros in cash. The badly wounded taxi driver managed to stop the vehicle at a Repsol petrol station next to Camino de Remanente in Vélez-Málaga and ask for help from the service station attendant, which meant that the police arrived at the scene quickly.

He tried to leave with the taxi

According to the sources consulted, the detainee got into the driver's seat and tried to leave with the taxi, but despite his injuries the victim was able to open the passenger door and managed to remove the keys from the ignition. His quick thinking stopped the assailant from escaping with the vehicle.

When the local police patrols arrived, the young man admitted that he had taken drugs. When he was surrounded by officers he threw the money on the ground, threatened the officers with the knife and began to stab himself in different parts of his body, including his abdomen and arms, in an attempt to avoid arrest.

Both the taxi driver and the suspect had to be taken by ambulance to health centres. The detainee was treated in Comarcal de la Axarquía hospital in Torre del Mar and later assessed in the mental health unit. After being released from the hospital, he was handed over to the police and later to the judicial authorities.

The victim suffered injuries to his face, side and armpit, for which he received numerous stitches before being discharged from hospital

The victim suffered injuries to his face, side and armpit, for which he received numerous stitches before being discharged from hospital. The owner of the taxi company, Francisco, explained to SUR that his worker was "very scared" after what happened and highlighted the vulnerability of professionals who work alone at night..

The case has once again brought the taxi sector's demands for security to the fore, especially during night services or isolated journeys. On this occasion, the camera installed in the vehicle is emerging as a key piece of evidence to reconstruct the sequence of events and support the judicial investigation opened for attempted murder and armed robbery.