By: Hector Flores
The cab driver, whom police identified as Christopher Willard, 26, of Oakford Street, was arraigned Sunday and held on $225,000 bail at the Nassau County jail in East Meadow.
Willard was a driver for Long Island Checker Cab in Merrick. At about 12:45 a.m. last Saturday, he was dispatched to Mirage, a nightclub on Merrick Avenue in Westbury, where he picked up a woman who asked to be taken to a friend's house in Bellmore. Willard drove the woman to the house, but no one was there. Police allege that he then drove to an undisclosed location in Bellmore, raped the woman and stole money from her pocketbook. He then dropped the woman off at the friend's house.
Police were called, and after an initial investigation, they stopped at the cab company's office in Merrick. The dispatcher called Willard back to the office for questioning. According to police, he drove up to the office, spotted police cars and sped off.
Willard led police to the Southern State Parkway, where he crashed. The suspect then ran into a wooded area, where police chased him down and arrested him.
Police charged Willard with first-degree rape, first-degree reckless endangerment and resisting arrest.
