HOWELL — Police are investigating a late-night carjacking in which a taxi driver was slashed in the face and his vehicle stolen near Oak Glen Park, authorities said.
The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. January 16, when a Howell Township police officer found a man bleeding from the face along Old Tavern Road and stopped to provide assistance, police said.
The victim, a 46-year-old taxi driver employed by an Asbury Park-based cab company, told officers he had picked up two passengers in Neptune and was driving them to a parking lot across from the entrance to Oak Glen Park. At the end of the trip, one of the passengers allegedly pulled out a knife and slashed the driver in the face before both men fled in the taxi, police said.
The driver was able to escape on foot and run toward Old Tavern Road, where he was later located by the patrol officer.
A short time later, responding officers found the stolen taxi abandoned on Maxim Road. Police established a perimeter and deployed a K-9 unit, but were unable to locate the suspects. The vehicle was recovered and seized, authorities said.
The suspects are described as Hispanic men between 18 and 24 years old, both wearing dark-colored clothing with dark hair. Police said they were heard speaking only Spanish.
The victim was treated for a facial laceration at Jersey Shore Medical Center and was listed in stable condition.
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact Howell Township Police Detective Vincent Bonner at 732-938-4575, extension 2647.
