Passenger stabs taxi driver in frenzied attack in Vélez-Málaga

A 26-year-old taxi driver was injured early on Tuesday 26 May after being stabbed with a knife by a passenger during a night shift. The incident occurred around 1:38am when the driver was taking a 19-year-old man from Almáchar to Torre del Mar on the eastern Costa del Sol.

According to sources close to the investigation who spoke to SUR, the passenger first punched the driver and then stabbed him twice with a knife, once in the chest and once in the armpit. The attack was captured on the taxi's security camera, to which SUR has had access. "It's a quiet night tonight, until the summer arrives," the driver told the passenger moments before the attack, when the passenger casually asked how his workday was going.

"What are you doing?" the taxi driver said after receiving the first blow to the face. “Stop right there,” he responds as he begins attacking him with the knife. “I’ll give you the money,” the 26-year-old driver replies, grabbing his arm as best he can to prevent him from stabbing him again.

“Give me everything you have, get out of here or I’ll kill you,” the passenger threatens as he sees the driver stop at a Repsol petrol station near Camino Remanente in Vélez-Málaga. The driver unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the vehicle, calling for help, as seen in the images from the security camera.

After the attack, the alleged assailant stole a small bag containing around 500 euros in cash and also left the vehicle. Despite his injuries, the taxi driver managed to alert the petrol station attendant, which prompted a large police response in the area.

After getting out of the vehicle, the assailant climbed into the driver's seat and tried to drive off in the taxi, but the badly injured driver managed to open the passenger door and took the keys from the ignition. "Give me the keys," the assailant said. "You're going to get yourself into trouble. We've called the police," the taxi driver replied.

When the local police patrols arrived at the petrol station, the assailant told them that he had taken drugs and threw the money on the ground. According to sources, the man threatened the officers with a knife and tried to avoid arrest by stabbing himself in various parts of his body, including his abdomen and arms. The young man has a criminal record.

Both the taxi driver and the alleged assailant had to be taken by ambulance to the Axarquía hospital. After being discharged, the detainee was handed over to the National Police for subsequent transfer to court. The victim has also been discharged. An investigation remains open to clarify all the details of what happened and to determine the charges against him.

The taxi company owner, Francisco, explained to SUR that his employee is "very scared" by what happened and has numerous stitches in various areas from the stab wounds, after spending several hours in the accident and emergency department at the Axarquía regional hospital in Torre del Mar.

Francisco went on to say, "We're completely exposed. Juanma is a fantastic professional; he was incredibly cool-headed to act like that and luckily he's alive to tell the tale."

The taxi industry has repeatedly called for increased security in the face of violent incidents during night shifts or on isolated trips. In this case, the presence of a security camera in the vehicle will prove crucial to the investigation, as it recorded the moment of the attack and allows for a precise reconstruction of the sequence of events.