Man held in Earlimart taxi driver holdup

Jesus Gamboa, 18, of Earlimart, is being held by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department in connection with the holdup of a taxi driver.

The incident occurred on Friday night when the victim received a call from someone requesting a ride with his taxi service. The sheriff's department reports the victim picked up four men who took him to another location and robbed the 51-year-old driver at gunpoint. The suspects then allegedly stole the taxi and fled. The victim had minor injuries and did not require medical attention. The taxi was later recovered.

Detectives from the sheriff’s department were called out to assume the investigation and determined one of the suspects to be Jesus Gamboa. With the assistance of Tulare County SWAT team and Gang Unit, a search warrant was conducted and Gamboa was arrested and booked into the Tulare County Jail.

The case remains under investigation and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s department at 733-6218.