SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Homicide detectives sought today to determine who gunned down a 68-year-old self-employed cabbie during a late-night robbery in La Jolla.
Patrol officers responding to reports of gunfire in the 8600 block of La Jolla Scenic Drive North found the body of the victim about 11:40 p.m. Wednesday, according to San Diego police.
Police have identified the 68-year-old Sabre Springs resident as Mir Sadat Sahou.
Witnesses reported seeing the cab pull up to a curb near Adat Yeshurun synagogue and two men get out, SDPD Lt. Kevin Rooney said.
"There was an exchange of words and a struggle, followed by several gunshots," the lieutenant said.
The assailant then got behind the wheel of the taxi and fled to the north.
Shortly before 2:30 this morning, an officer found the vehicle abandoned in the 1200 block of Coast Boulevard, near La Jolla Cove. It was towed to a police facility to be examined for evidence.
Detectives worked through the day to determine where the shooter got into the cab.
"We're still investigating what (Sahou's) schedule was last night," the homicide lieutenant told reporters. "As a self-employed person, it's not as regimented as working for a large company where you'd have a dispatcher constantly accounting for your whereabouts."