HOWELL TOWNSHIP, NJ — Police are searching for two suspects who slashed a taxi driver in the face and stole his vehicle near Oak Glen Park.
A Howell Township Police patrol officer found a 46-year-old man bleeding from the face on Old Tavern Road at approximately 11:15 p.m. on January 16, 2026.
The victim, a taxi driver employed by an Asbury Park-based company, told police he was slashed with a knife by one of two passengers at the conclusion of a fare.
The suspects had obtained a taxi ride from Neptune with their destination being a parking lot across from the entrance to Oak Glen Park on Preventorium Road.
Upon arrival, one suspect produced a knife and slashed the driver in the face.
The victim fled on foot toward Old Tavern Road while the suspects drove away in the stolen taxi.
Officers located the abandoned taxi a short time later on Maxim Road.
Police established a perimeter and initiated a K-9 track, but the suspects were not located and remain at large.
Both suspects are described as Hispanic males between 18 and 24 years of age, wearing dark-colored clothing with dark hair, and were observed speaking only Spanish.
The victim was treated for a facial laceration at Jersey Shore Medical Center and is listed in stable condition.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Vincent Bonner at 732-938-4575, extension 2647.
