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Robbery fails when cab driver grabs gun, bites suspect

Reported by: Katrina Wessman
Email: kwessman@abc15.com
Reported by: Brian Webb
Last Update: 8/09/2009 6:29 pm
Robbery fails when cab driver grabs gun, bites suspect
The cab driver bit Mailhot's ear
Slideshow
The cab driver bit Mailhot's ear
Video Click the play button on the video window to the right to see the story

CHANDLER, AZ – A cab driver fought back against a man, who tried to rob him at gunpoint on Friday morning, by biting his ear and taking his gun.

Detective David Ramer with the Chandler Police Department said a cab driver pulled into an apartment complex near Dobson and Ocotillo roads around 1 a.m. to drop off his passenger.

As the cab came to a stop, the passenger allegedly pulled a gun on the driver and demanded cash.

Ramer said the cab driver grabbed the suspect's gun and pulled it down between the front seats, forcing the suspect to lean over the seats closer to the cab driver. 

With his hands holding the gun down between the seats, the cab driver reportedly bit the suspect's ear. 

"I almost bit his ear off," said the cab driver, Mwengi Gachii.  "I'm okay because I am always suspicious of people like that.” 

The suspect then fired one shot, striking the driver seat of the vehicle and then responded in turn by biting Gachii, according to the police report. 

At one point, Gachii says the suspect bit him in the chest.  "He was really drunk," Gachii said.

After a struggle, the suspect fled from the cab.  Gachii ran after the suspect while carrying his gun. 

After a brief chase, Gachii stopped and called police. 

Video See Gachii discuss the robbery attempt

Police were able to catch the alleged robber in the complex. 

The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Matthew Mailhot of Chandler, was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries. 

Mailhot was booked into the Maricopa County Jail for armed robbery. 
Copyright 2009 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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