From the Chicago Dispatcher, October 2008
A Biting Crime
Cabdriver Lebura Denuate believes he was the victim of a con job when his wallet was stolen from his cab on Michigan Avenue.
By: Jonathan Bullington
In the cap to a tough summer for Chicago's taxi drivers, 34-year old Lebura Denuate was robbed and later assaulted during a bizarre afternoon incident on Michigan Avenue.
Denuate had just dropped his fare at the Wrigley Building and was heading south down the “Magnificent Mile” where he stopped at the intersection of Michigan and Wacker. When a young boy (roughly 13-14 years old, according to Denuate) approached his open passenger's side window, flyer in hand, asking for a donation to his baseball team, Denuate didn't realize he had just been targeted.
As the teenager asked for a donation, Denuate said another man, about his age, came to his window and asked for a ride.
“He said, 'Can you please take me downtown?'” Denuate remembered. “I said this is downtown. He said no, like 47th and Michigan, so I said OK.”
Then, to his surprise, Denuate said the man and the teenager took off running away from his cab. Denuate exited his cab and watched the two run north on Michigan with two other men. As he watched, Denuate said a motorist behind him gave him some startling news.
“A driver behind me said they just picked up something from your car. 'Didn't you see that guy picking up something from your car?'” Denuate recalled. “So I went back to my car to check, only to discover that my wallet (which had been on his center console) was gone.”
Denuate immediately left his cab and chased the men on foot. He ran to Lower Wacker Drive, by the Wrigley Building, where a group of pedestrians told him they saw four men run toward the river. Denuate ran a few more blocks before turning back, having lost sight of the men. As he returned to his cab, he said an older man, appearing to be homeless, was standing next to his cab. This man, according to Denuate, knew where the men he was chasing had gone.
“This man said that these guys had been there since morning and, now that they had gotten something, they had gone their way to the Southside,” Denuate said. “I asked how he knew this and he said, if I go to Adams and Wabash, I will see them.”
Denuate drove off to the intersection of Adams and Wabash, calling police en-route to apprise them of the situation. Not two minutes after his arrival, Denuate said he saw the man who had asked for the ride to Michigan and 47th. Denuate stopped him as he was attempting to walk up stairs to the train platform.
“When I stopped him, I asked him where is my wallet?” Denuate said. “He said he was just coming from work. He started panicking. He was sweating.”
Denuate grabbed the man by his shirt to prevent him from running away. With one hand grabbing the man's shirt, Denuate used his other hand to call police, all while the man struck him in the head with his cell phone. During the struggle, Denuate said the man bit his hand hard, yet Denuate would not release his grip. Finally, police arrived on the scene and arrested the man, whom they later identified as Renyale Daniels.
Denuate was treated for his hand wound by an ambulance at the scene. He was taken to the station for questioning before being released. Police charged Daniels with battery but not theft, since they never recovered Denuate's wallet. His first court date of September 11 was continued to a later date. As of press time, Denuate said he is waiting to hear from prosecutors for the next court date.
Denuate believes he was the victim of a well-planned con job.
“If I had known they took my wallet, they wouldn't have escaped.”
this happens all the time. one guy comes to passeneger side so you put window down. other guy distract you from driver side then passenger side guy grabs something and ran.
That sucks in Chicago. I wish, I can carry a baseball bat under my driver seat. If, Some didn't that to me. I would knock there brains and make sure they never do that again.
ask the prosecutor and cop to charge the theif with felony as it is a felony to physically attack a cabbie.
don't ever pick up anyone, i mean anyone who you think maybe drunk or unruly or strange blacks.
dont pick up guys who look unruly from bars.
don't give a **** abou the law, give a **** about your own safety.
Thanks for your advice
Ishmeet wrote, "don't ever pick up anyone, i mean anyone who you think maybe drunk or unruly or strange blacks."
Ishmeet, the color of someone's skin should play no part in deciding whether or not to pick up somebody.
George Lutfallah
Chicago Dispatcher
GOERGE, as much as i read ur magazine, i hope you stop being mouthpiece for Reyes and stick on issues drivers are facing.
don't just tell us what she wants us to do, tell Reyes, what we want her to do that is stop being unfair to us and end this illegal credit card rule and mistreatment of drivers.
what i meant was be careful who u pick up. thatw as my point!
Perhaps your point would have been better made if you used the word "people" instead of "blacks."
George Lutfallah
Chicago Dispatcher
--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---
Replying to:
ask the prosecutor and cop to charge the theif with felony as it is a felony to physically attack a cabbie.
don't ever pick up anyone, i mean anyone who you think maybe drunk or unruly or strange blacks.
dont pick up guys who look unruly from bars.
don't give a **** abou the law, give a **** about your own safety.
