Cabbie choked by passenger Cabbie choked by passenger (December 17, 2004)

Unprovoked attack led to arrest
by Teresa C. Brown

A passenger tried to strangle his cab driver Tuesday night near the BART station on Owens Drive and Willow Road, police reported.

Police arrested Kirk Schuster, 54, and he was booked into Santa Rita Jail following the 10 p.m. attack.

Schuster had been drinking at a San Ramon hotel bar earlier that evening and made the acquaintance of another man, police said. The pair decided to take a cab to San Francisco, but after learning the fare, they decided to take BART instead and instructed the driver to take them to the Pleasanton station.

As the cab approached the station and without warning or provocation, Schuster, who was behind the driver, suddenly threw his belt around the cab driver's neck and began choking him, police said.

The other man came to the driver's assistance, forcing Schuster to drop the belt. The driver was able to stop the vehicle and flee from the car.

Police said Schuster made some "delusional comments" to his companion, including that the driver was trying to kill them, and he seemed "surprised and confused" when his companion told him they were at the BART station.

Within minutes, BART police took Schuster into custody and later turned him over to Pleasanton officers.

The driver, who refused medical attention, suffered minor injuries, including an abrasion to his lip.

A police investigation determined that Schuster's companion was not involved in the attack.

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