A report of a robbery called in by an Anchorage cab driver prompted a response by Anchorage police at 12:37 pm on Monday afternoon to the parking lot at Old Seward and O’Malley Centre Court.

The cab driver told police he had pocked up a fare to take him to his destination but the rider kept changing his mind as to where he wanted to be dropped off. Then, that passenger, later identified as 35-year-old Kasey lang, pulled a knife and began climbing from the third-row passenger seats towards the cabby. This prompted the driver to pull over and jump from the vehicle. The cab driver told police, “Shortly thereafter the suspect got out of the cab; he walked away with a vehicle jump start box that belonged inside the taxi.” APD reported.

When officers arrived in the area, they were told by a person walking in the area that “he thought he saw a person matching the suspect’s description walk into Lowes on O’Malley.” When the officers responded to Lowes, they spoke with an employee who told them that the suspect was inside the warehouse and actively shoplifting.

When officers responded to the area that Lang was last seen, another employee said that they saw him running out of the rear door. Officers gave chase and cut him off as he was fleeing through the forklift bay and took him into custody.

When searched during his arrest, they found that Lang had items on his person from inside the taxi as well as items taken from the store.

Lang was remanded to the Anchorage Jail on charges of Robbery I, Assault III, Theft IV x2, and Resisting Arrest. No one was injured in the incident.

  Anchorage, cab driver, kasey lang, lowes, o’malley, old seward, police, robbery, shoplifting, suspect