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Violent Attacks On Cab Drivers Continues To Rise

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- Cab drivers are already worried about attacks by customers after one of their own was killed in October and another was targeted in a brutal hate crime. But they say that violence against cab drivers is only continuing to rise.

"This Saturday night we had another couple of incidents happen," police say.

One of the violent incidents on Saturday made Spuran Singh run for his life.

"He opened his knife; I opened the door and got out to call police right away," says Singh.

Singh says he was threatened in a secluded area at 20th and Q Streets. He says the man paid him $20 at the start of the trip, which would have been enough to cover the fare and a tip, and then pulled out the knife.

Passengers usually pay at the end of the ride, not the beginning. Why pay and then attempt a robbery? Police are still trying to find the answer to that question as they search for the suspect.

Cab driver Helmi Mansour says he was also assaulted by a passenger in a separate incident on the same night.

"She beat me badly by the hand, two times in front of everybody and people were screaming," says Helmi Mansour.

Cab drivers hoped increased awareness and talks with police would curb the violence, but now they're not so sure.

"It's getting bad, you know," says Mansour.

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