TAXI CUSTOMER FROM HELL: City man arrested for holding knife to female cabbie’s throat

Clarkstown PD has charged a Manhattan man with second degree assault and second degree kidnapping for allegedly holding a knife to the throat of a 27-year-old female Prestige Taxi cab driver and demanding she take him to New York City for free.

Officers from CPD arrested 30-year-old Joshua Bray of Manhattan on the aforementioned felony charges, as well as a misdemeanor charge of criminal possession of a weapon. They found him shortly after the alleged incident occurred in the area of the Calvary Drive commuter lot in New City, Tuesday evening around 5:30 p.m.

Police said he had fled on foot but was found walking a short distance from Route 304.

The victim, a resident of West Haverstraw, told officers she had picked Bray up on Beechwood Lane in Garnerville with the understanding she would drop him off at the commuter lot so he could take a bus to New York City. When they arrived at the lot he instead pulled a knife and demanded a free ride.

The taxi driver suffered a cut to her thumb when she “instinctively” responded to the attack by attempting to push the assailant away, police said. The resistance may have played a role in Bray deciding to flee the scene instead of continuing his alleged assault.

The victim was treated for a minor laceration at Nyack Hospital. The knife was not found at the scene. Bray was arraigned in Clarkstown Justice Court and bail was set at $75,000. He was transported to Rockland County Jail and will return to court Friday morning.