VISTA–A man on parole was arrested for allegedly punching a cab driver in Vista, authorities said on Thursday.
Just before 7 p.m., Sheriff’s deputies observed two men in a violent physical fist fight, in the middle of the roadway, near the corner of Olive Avenue and Vista Village Drive in Vista.
The deputies observed an adult male deliver a series of punches to the head of another adult male, believed to be a cab driver. The cab driver appeared as though he was about to lose consciousness, according to authorities.
Deputies repeated verbal commands for the man to stop the assault, put his hands up in the air and to get on the ground. The man refused to follow the verbal commands. As a result of the his assaultive behavior towards the cab driver, coupled with his refusal to follow verbal commands given by deputies, less lethal munitions were deployed allowing deputies to take the man into custody without further incident.
The man sustained only minor injuries as a result of the less lethal deployment. He was taken into custody is on parole for lewd and lascivious acts with a child. He was arrested for a parole violation and being drunk in public. The cab driver got back into a yellow Toyota Prius and drove away from the scene as deputies were taking the man into custody.
The Sheriff’s Department is looking for the cab driver and is seeking any information into the whereabouts of him.
