Dash Cam Video Shows Rider Beating Up Cab Driver In Metro East

CBS St. Louis

January 06, 2021

A dashboard camera was rolling when a man beat up a cab driver in East Alton, Illinois on Dec. 30.
The incident happened after the cab driver picked up the suspect at a strip mall. Police say the suspect became violent when he was told it would cost $55 to go to the bus station in downtown St. Louis. After the attack, authorities believe the suspect ran to some nearby railroad tracks and into a woman's home. Along the way, home security cameras captured him. Leon English of Alton, Illinois was charged with aggravated battery Wednesday.

"We watched him dive. We watched him come over the fence watched him go back. We watched him come up the street," said nearby resident Carolyn Johnson. Police said he walked into a home through an unlocked door and had a brief encounter with a woman before leaving.

"She held her ground, she was calm, collected and responded very well to this individual," said East Alton Police major Christian Cranmer. Johnson said the whole ordeal has left the neighborhood shaken. After police released the dashcam video, they said they got several calls from people identifying the suspect as Leon English, of Alton. The 25-year-old has been charged with one count of aggravated battery. He is reportedly being held at the Madison County Jail on multiple charges from different agencies.