Police: Customer robs taxi driver in West Hempstead

A passenger exiting a taxi reached through the cab's window and stole the driver's cash, phone and GPS in West Hempstead on Saturday afternoon, Nassau police said.

Anthony J. Dimeglio, 22, of Howard Beach, was arrested and charged with robbery after police found him walking with a group of men on Hempstead Gardens Drive, not far from the scene of the incident, police said.

Dimeglio, of 151-23 80th St., and the four other men had been passengers in the taxi when an argument erupted among them, prompting the driver to pull over outside her company's headquarters at 6 Hempstead Gardens Drive, according to police.

As the men left the cab, Dimeglio reached through the passenger window and grabbed the driver's GPS, cellphone and a pouch containing cash, police said.

The men then fled on foot. The unidentified 49-year-old driver wasn't hurt, police said.

Police said they recovered the GPS and phone, but not the cash.