Luck already had run out for District of Columbia taxi cab driver Esaias Alazar before he was killed.
Alazar was having difficultly making his cab payments, his car had been disabled and he hadn’t been able to work. He needed money to get back on his feet.
On the night of March 4, 2005, he’d was able to get his taxicab to run, so he decided to try his luck and buy a lottery ticket.
That’s where the Alazar, a 50-year-old African immigrant, was killed.
A store surveillance camera recorded part of the incident, including Alazar entering the Four Seasons convenience store on the 4900 block of South Dakota Avenue NE about 9:17 p.m.
Alazar approached the counter and bought a D.C. Lottery instant scratch game. He checked whether the ticket was a winner and left the store.
The surveillance video at that point shows a white ßash, then it ends.
Outside the store, Alazar was walking toward his parked taxicab when two men approached him, police said. Following a struggle, Alazar was shot in the chest. He died within 30 minutes at the Washington Hospital Center.
The manager at the 16-vehicle Five Star Cab Association where Alazar worked told police that Alazar still owed the cab company $320. Although Alazar said he’d pay the money, the boss hadn’t seen Alazar in the two weeks before his slaying.
D.C. police still have not charged anyone in Alazar’s slaying, and they are looking for information that can help solve the case.
Police are offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information that leads to a conviction. Anyone with information can call police at 202-727-9099. To remain anonymous, text message 50411.
