Christopher Simmons
December 21, 2007
Marietta, Georgia

Cab driver killed in Marietta

By TIM EBERLY
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 12/22/07

The shooting death of taxi driver in Marietta on Friday night marked at least the fifth cabbie slaying in metro Atlanta since September, adding to concern among drivers throughout the region.

Marietta police were called to the Concepts 21 apartment complex at 8:15 p.m. after someone found Christopher Simmons, 21, lying on the ground next to his cab, police spokesman Mark Bishop said.

Simmons, a Marietta resident and driver for Acuario Taxi, had been shot once in the chest, police said. He was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Bishop said detectives have not tracked down any witnesses to the shooting and have few leads to work with. He said he did not know if Simmons was dropping off or picking up someone at the complex, at 2600 Bentley Road, nor if the shooting occurred inside the cab.

Bishop also said police had no evidence to link Simmons' murder to the other cabbie killings reported in metro Atlanta in recent months. They included:

• Tampico Taxi driver Juan Rubio-Castro, 27, shot to death in his cab Dec. 9 at a Riverdale apartment complex.

• Dane Grobman, 54, shot to death Nov. 7 in his cab in DeKalb County.

• Lenox Cab driver Steve Guarini, 49, fatally shot in the back in his cab Sept. 9 in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward.

• Berhanu Yassin, 45, killed in his cab Sept. 6 outside the Kensington MARTA station in DeKalb County.

Cab drivers are growing increasingly anxious about the local deaths, said Kimberly Smith, a dispatcher for Yellow Cab and Rapid Taxi in Atlanta.

"They want bullet-proof windows in their cabs," she said. "Some of them want to carry weapons. It's getting crazy."

Malachi Hull, director of Atlanta's Bureau of Taxicabs and Vehicles for Hire, said he is pushing for an ordinance mandating that every cab be equipped with a camera or a bullet-proof partition between driver and passenger.

The proposed ordinance likely will go before the Atlanta City Council in January, Hull said.

News researcher Sharon Gaus contributed to this report.

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WSBTV.com
December 22, 2007

Cabbie Murdered in Marietta Apartment Complex

MARIETTA, Ga -- Marietta police Saturday worked to solve the murder of a cab driver. They found the body of Chrisopher Simmons around 8:15 p.m. Friday on the ground next to his cab. The cab was parked at the Concepts 21 apartment complex at 2600 Bentley Road.

Police say the cabbie, Christopher Simmons, 21, was shot in the chest. He was rushed to Kennestone Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

So far, police have not said if they know who killed the cabbie or why. Simmons was an employee of Acuario Taxi of Marietta.

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