Police order man to pay cab fare or go to jail after bailing on waiting cab driver

WILLOWICK, Ohio - Hours after taking off without paying for his ride, a Willowick man repaid a cab driver after police threatened him with jail time.

Willowick police say just after midnight on Saturday, February 11, they received a call from a homeowner on Lakeshore Boulevard about a running cab parked in her driveway.

When police questioned the cab driver on scene, he informed them he was waiting for the man he had dropped off at the house to return with cab fare.

After following footprints in the snow, police realized the man did not enter the house, but instead fled through the backyard.

Police apprehended the man a short distance away on Parkwood Drive. He was then ordered to repay the cab driver within 48 hours or face jail time.

According to Willowick police dispatchers, the man returned to the police station around 2:30 p.m. that afternoon. He paid $25 for the initial cab ride, and included a $15 tip.