Homeless Man Arrested in Taxi Driver Robbery

Police have arrested a 31-year-old homeless man wanted in connection with the April 6 robbery of a Hilo cabbie.

Bernard K. Antoque was arrested Thursday night and charged today with first-degree terroristic threatening and two counts of theft.

Bail for Antoque, who police said has no permanent address, was set at $37,000.

The arrest stems from an incident in which a Hilo taxi driver reported picking up a fare in Hilo and taking him to Mountain View. When they arrived the fare claimed he did not have the money to pay for the ride and asked to be taken to another location.

When the driver refused, the fare allegedly assaulted and threatened the driver and took the driver’s bag containing cash.

The driver, who sustained minor injuries, forced the fare out of the cab and drove to Keaau to report the incident.