What to Know
- Police said officers responded to the DICK'S Sporting Goods at the Square One Mall for an alleged shoplifting Sunday night.
- At the same time, taxi driver Jose Antonio Grullon said a man asked him for a ride to the store.
- The man allegedly came running out and then stole Grullon's taxi at gunpoint as well as $450 from his glove compartment.
Police in Massachusetts continue to search for the man who they say carjacked a taxi driver at gunpoint in Saugus on Sunday night.
Officers responded to the DICK'S Sporting Goods at the Square One Mall on Broadway at 6:45 p.m. after receiving a 911 call that a man had fled the store after allegedly shoplifting.
At the same time, taxi driver Jose Antonio Grullon told NBC Boston a man initially asked him for a ride to DICK's Sporting Goods and told him to wait outside. When the man came running out with three jackets, Grullon said he knew something was wrong.
Grullon said the man, who was being chased by someone inside the store, so he tried to flee the area himself. But as Grullon was trying to back out of a parking space, the suspect smashed through the driver's side window and opened his door.
He then showed a gun and ripped Grullon out of his seat. The suspect then took Grullon's gray Ford Fusion, his iPhone, and $450 in the glove compartment.
"I got some injuries here," said a shaken Grullon.
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Grullon said he plans to take a few days off before heading back to work.
"He said he wasn't even thinking at first. He was just trying to get away. He didn't want him to take the car," said Grullon's niece, Lucie Soto.
Grullon's colleagues said while this type of violence is rare, it is one of the dangers of the job.
"When you do pick up people you never know who's getting in the taxi with you," said dispatcher Michael Wolfe.
Police later confirmed that the suspect stole three jackets, valued at a total of $879.
Initial reports were that the suspect showed a gun. Authorities said Monday that no gun was shown.
Police are looking for a man in his mid-30s, with salt and pepper hair with a goatee. He was wearing a black jacket and gray cap at the time of the incident.
The suspect was last seen driving the taxi in the direction of Essex Street. The license plate number is 412C.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Saugus Police Department at 781-941-1199.
