A jury has convicted a man of battery and resisting arrest after he attacked a taxi driver and ran from police earlier this year, the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday.
“I’m grateful for the jury’s careful considerations of the facts and the courage the victim exhibited in testifying,” Assistant District Attorney James Filling, who prosecuted the case, said in a statement.
Antonio Jones, 29, and a woman took a taxi ride from San Francisco to Berkeley on the night of Jan. 30, according to testimony and evidence presented at trial.
Once in Berkeley, Jones and the woman got out of the taxi without paying and went into a store. The driver thought that the pair might be paying with a voucher from the store, so he went inside the store and asked if the store provides vouchers. The store clerk said no.
The driver waited outside the store for Jones and the woman to come out. The pair left the store and got back inside the taxi and asked to be taken back to San Francisco.
When the car arrived in San Francisco, Jones and the woman got out of the taxi without paying. The driver tried to prevent Jones from leaving and grabbed his jacket. Jones then bit, punched, and hit the driver, prosecutors said.
Witnesses called 911 and directed an officer on motorcycle to the scene who tried to deescalate the situation, but Jones ran away.
The officer caught up with Jones and as the officer tried to arrest him, Jones tried running away again.
After the trial, a San Francisco Superior Court jury found Jones guilty of battery, resisting a peace officer, and theft by false pretenses.
“The jury’s verdict holds Mr. Jones accountable and sends a message that this conduct will not be tolerated in San Francisco,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins in a statement. “My office takes these cases seriously as taxi drivers, like everyone else, should expect to feel safe when doing their jobs.”
Jones is currently not in custody. His sentencing is scheduled for 9 a.m. June 30 at the Hall of Justice.