Police: Cab Driver Robbed As He Took Passenger From Palisades Center To Central Nyack

A Spring Valley man is accused of robbing cash and a cell phone from a taxi driver who was taking him from Palisades Center mall in West Nyack to nearby Central Nyack, according to Clarkstown police.

Although there was a struggle in the cab, police said the driver was not injured in the robbery. This is the second time in less than a month that a cab driver picking up a customer at the mall has been targeted for robbery.

Jamal Jack, 19, of Spring Valley, was arrested after Friday's 6 p.m. incident and he is being held in the Rockland County Correctional Facility in New City on $25,000 bail pending a hearing Friday in Clarkstown Town Court in New City. He is charged with third-degree robbery, a felony, and second-degree harassment, a violation.

Police said Jack was picked up by a cab driver at the bus stop at Palisades Center and asked to be taken to Highview Court in Central Nyack. On the way, police said Jack asked to use the cab driver's cell phone, and as they arrived in Central Nyack Jack demanded the driver's money.

A struggle took place in the cab and police said Jack grabbed a portion of the driver's money, then jumping out of the cab. The driver called police to alert them of the robbery.

Armed with a description of the cab passenger, Clarkstown police searched the area and arrested Jack with a short time of the robbery. Police said no weapon was involved in Friday's incident.

In late January, a Nanuet man was charged with attempted robbery after an incident involving a taxi that picked him and another man up at Palisades Center.

Clarkstown police said a cab driver picked up the two men at about 11:50 p.m.  and was taking them to Spring Valley when he saw one of the men pass a knife to the other man in the back seat of the cab. Fearing he was about to be robbed, police said the cab driver stopped in the area of North Pascack Road in Nanuet and the two passengers ran from the taxi.

The cab driver called police, who then searched the area for the two passengers and found Christopher Fink, 26, of Nanuet. Fink was arrested after a struggle with police.

Fink was charged with second-degree attempted robbery, second-degree menacing, criminal possession of a weapon and resisting arrest.