Cab driver shot dead at Casino Arizona

Arizona, USA — A cab driver was shot and killed outside Casino Arizona near Scottsdale late Wednesday, police says.

The 45-year-old father of three, Hilario Mendoza, is VIP Taxi driver for only about 2 weeks. Mr. Mendoza allegedly planned to eventually return to construction work once temperatures cooled down.

The victim’s mother, Maria Mendoza, is seeking justice for the murder of his son. “They took a good person for nothing,” she says.

Furthermore, the cab driver spent time with his family before he got a call for service. “Real quick, he says, ‘Mom, I gotta leave, I gotta go.’ I said, ‘OK, bye,’ and he left,” his mother says. “I never thought he wasn’t going to come back.”

Mr. Mendoza allegedly picked up a man, who police did not identify, and drove him to a casino.

“[He] took him, I guess, to a wrong casino, and then he said, ‘This is the wrong casino, take me to Arizona casino.’ So he took him back there and that’s where he shot him,” Maria said. “I didn’t even have the chance, not to say goodbye to him.”

“He died alone, he died without family,” Hilario’s sister, Sara Mendoza, said. “No one deserves that.”

Hilario Mendoza’s family members gathered together at a Phoenix home as they mourn his death last Friday.

“I’m angry, I want justice,” Sara Mendoza said.

Authorities say there was a brief pursuit near Gilbert Road and E. Oak Street after the suspect fled in Hilario’s taxi. The Salt River Police Department has taken him into custody while the incident is still under ongoing investigation.

The family established a GoFundMe page to cover the funeral costs. If you wish to extend help, you can donate here.