![]() ![]() Valletta, who returned to work that same evening after the terrifying ordeal, could not thank the officer enough and reportedly gave him a hug in the middle of the intersection after the man who just had a gun to his head was in custody. Martinez-Herrera was arrested and charged with robbery, terroristic threats and a weapons offense. As it turned out, the gun wasn’t exactly real – a pellet gun – but the crime he just committed was. “I immediately bent down and pulled my firearm out because I noticed he had a hood over his face when he looked over at me.”Įly quickly apprehended Martinez-Herrera, who was pleading with the officer, informing him that the gun wasn’t real. “Right when I hit the door, I heard the driver say, ‘Please don’t shoot me,’ and ‘He has a gun to my head,’” Ely recalled. He was committed to the Berks County Jail on 100,000 bail. Moments later, Ely approached the vehicle, walking slowly to assess the situation. The 18-year-old Martinez-Herrera, who lives about a block from the scene, was charged with robbery, terroristic threats and simple assault. “It was like a vision of God when I saw those lights,” Valletta said. “The commotion was still going on, so I made it a point to put on my emergency lights.”Īs Valletta was still retrieving his wallet and cell phone, he noticed the flashing lights in the rearview mirror. “It sounded like people talking loud or some kind of an argument coming from inside of the cab, but sometimes you just blow those things off,” Ely later said. Valetta was stopped at a traffic light during Monday's armed robbery, when through his rearview mirror he saw the patrol vehicle's lights turn on. Or rather, the flashing lights of a deputy's car. Berks County Sheriff’s Deputy Terry Ely said he first suspected something was wrong after the cab sat at the light as it turned green and cycled through again. Mar 10, 2016, 12:05 PM EST Ralph Valletta was terrified as his passenger held a gun to his head, but then the Pennsylvania taxi driver saw the light. Meanwhile, what Martinez-Herrera failed to notice was the patrol car that pulled up behind the taxi. The suspect, who was later identified as 18-year-old Victor Martinez-Herrera, was unsatisfied with Valletta’s response and demanded his wallet and cell phone, in addition to the $11. Video footage from inside the cab captured the terrified driver, Ralph Valletta, explaining to the robber he just started his work day and all he had was $11 in cash. ![]() The robbery occurred after the cab stopped at a red light. Ralph Valletta just started his shift as a cab driver in Reading, Pennsylvania, when 18-year-old Victor Martinez-Herrera pulled a gun and attempted to rob him. He was booked into Berks County Jail on $100,000 bail.An attempted robbery of a taxi cab driver in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Monday afternoon didn’t quite turn out as planned after a police officer happened to roll up in the middle of the robbery. Video use with permission by Reading Metro Taxi. ![]() Luckily, there was a cop parked right behind him. Police arrested 18-year-old Victor Martinez-Herrer, who's been charged with robbery, terroristic threats and simple assault, WFMZ reports. Cab driver Ralph Valletta started his shift with Reading Metro Taxi by being the victim of an attempted robbery. "He immediately stood up, ran over to me, gave me a hug and said, 'Thank you. He ran to the officer, hailing him as his lifesaver. Watch: Wallet Thief Returns Cards With Note Stop Splurging, Do Your Own Nails "At that point, I heard the driver say, 'Just please don't shoot me.'"Įly sprang to action, pulling out his own gun and telling the suspect to get out of the car and onto the ground. "I stood in the back to try and hear the conversation ahead of time so knew what I was getting myself into," Deputy Terry Ely said. As luck would have it, a Berks County Sheriff's deputy was right behind the cab. The man allegedly demanded money and video shows Valletta handing over all his $11.Īt that very moment, lights flash from behind. ![]()
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