CARLSBAD (CNS) - A robber stole from two taxi drivers in Carlsbad, but returned the money to his second victim in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid arrest, police said on Saturday.
A cab driver called police from the 800 block of Tamarack Avenue near Jefferson Street shortly before 10:30 p.m. Friday, and said he had been robbed by a man who got in his cab pretending to be a customer, Carlsbad police said in a statement.
The robber was later identified by police as Sean Patrick McCreary of Carlsbad, who allegedly had held a knife up to the driver's throat and demanded cash.
Police said the driver handed over some of his property, then followed McCreary and tipped off officers to his location.
However, McCreary returned the driver's property and asked him not to call the police -- unaware they were already en route, police said.
McCreary was arrested.
Police said officers later found items in his possession belonging to a different cab driver, who had been robbed at knifepoint in the same area.
McCreary was being held the Vista Detention Facility on suspicion of armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon in lieu of $100,000 bail, according to police and jail records.
Both taxi drivers had their property returned and neither were injured, police said.
