16-Year-Old Charged In Death Of Cabbie Run Over By His Own Car
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A 16-year-old faces second-degree murder and robbery charges in the death of a cab driver run over by his own car.
Police say the teen turned himself in Tuesday with his mother. He is being held in jail as he awaits his first court appearance.
Mohammad Zafrullah, 65, of Brooklyn, was found lying the street with severe head trauma around 11:45 p.m. Saturday in Soundview. He was taken to the hospital, where he died a few hours later.
"My father truly was a fighter and New Yorker through and through, and he went fighting until the very end," Zafrullah's son, Tawsique, said Tuesday.
Police said when the driver dropped the teen off on Seward Avenue, the suspect reached back into the cab and stole his bag.
Zafrullah got out of the car to chase the teen, but forgot to put it in park.
"He got out of the car rather quickly, right behind us here, and the car ran over him, severing his spine and injuring his head," said Fernando Mateo, head of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers.
Family gathered at Zafrullah's Brooklyn home in mourning. He leaves behind two adult children.
"Always looking out for his family, sort of very much keep to himself and be nice to people around him," his nephew, Ronnie Momen, said. "A compassionate person."
The suspect's name has not been released because of his age.