topic Re: NJ Cab Driver in Community Chat

NJ Cab Driver

MorningLover — Mon, 22 May 2023 12:54:46 GMT

.. Picked Up A Group of Young Teens. He Ended Up Dead and Robbed.

NBC NY: Kofi Addo came to the U.S. from Ghana in 2006 determined to work hard — and he did, six days a week, driving a school bus by day, a taxi by night.

On the night he died, three teenagers reportedly called All Brunswick Taxi and said they needed a ride to the movie theaters. But evidently their motives were much more sinister.

"He was a beautiful soul to be taken away from us so soon. He had so much more on this Earth to do," said his widow, Kecia Banks.

Addo had done so much already, having brought his two sons here from Ghana to give them a better life. He also worked to send money back to his village to help others do the same.

"Him being abroad, people reached out for help. He was helping people go to school, getting anybody who had problems back home. My dad was helping," said his son, Hubert Addo.

He was behind the wheel of his taxi the night of May 11 when he got the call to come to a quiet block of Franklin Township — unaware that three teenagers, just 13 and 14 years old, allegedly lay in wait.

Neighbors captured images of them on doorbell cameras as they had loitered for over an hour. When Kofi pulled up, they allegedly got into his taxi, shot him point blank, took his phone and wallet and ran.

"All the years I know him, no complaints. Nice man, easy going, trying to make a living," said Basam Abourjeily, who also worked at the taxi company. "He was a nice man, always laughing and joking. It's a shame what happened to him."

What happened that night sent spasms of fear through the typically peaceful neighborhood, which turned into an unimaginable crime scene. The fear still lingers.

“For somebody to lose his life senselessly like that, it changed all of us. Now we close our doors, we never closed our doors," said neighbor Mem Jamiru, who was born in Ghana, like Addo. "We have a whole village back home that we take care of, people depending on us. When you destroy one person, you destroy a village. Its is pathetic."

That village is now coming together to help send Addo back home to be buried. His son has set up a fundraising page for the father who funded his trip here and sent him to college. He is set to graduate from Kean University in 2024 with a degree in criminal justice.

"One day I was driving him to work and he told me 'I never tell you stuff like this, but I’m proud of you.' That stood out to me a lot, that before he left I heard 'I'm proud of you' before unfortunately he left," said Hubert Addo.

The three teenagers who are charged with killing him are in juvenile detention. His widow, an educator, said that despite her family’s pain, she prays for them.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

RetRN — Mon, 22 May 2023 13:14:55 GMT

Heartbreaking. Probably teens without a father in the home, I am so sick of this. We need parents to do their job. Don't have kids if you are not going to provide and care for them. It seems the family unit has gone by the wayside.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

MaverDaver — Mon, 22 May 2023 13:28:56 GMT

So sad but unfortunately becoming more common. Why not -- with today's progressive prosecutors creating a revolving door for criminals and juveniles knowing they won't be punished because of their age. I say age is no excuse. Try them as adults and make an example of them. Can't always blame the parents or a lack thereof. Even kids from good homes become dirt bags.

These United States are slowly becoming a third world country although had this happened in a third world country those kids would have already faced the music!

Re: NJ Cab Driver

Isobel Archer — Mon, 22 May 2023 13:34:30 GMT

Waiting for the - oh they are just kids and their brains aren't developed sufficiently for them to realize what they are doing defense.

Or - it's not that crime isn't prosecuted - we've always had 13 year olds killing people - we just didn't hear about it.

Or my favorite - it wasn't the kids, it was the gun. Because everyone knows that if we just banned guns, criminals would turn them all in and there would be no more shootings.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

teganslaw — Mon, 22 May 2023 13:38:48 GMT

Try them as adults and throw the book at them. I'm tired of people making excuses about their age and background, etc. The brains are developed enough to know better at that age. I won't pay attention to anyone who tries to excuse this behavior.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

proudlyfromNJ — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:11:04 GMT

This happened over a week ago and the brats have been charged with a myriad of charges. They are still being held and awaiting a court appearance.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

kaydee50 — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:12:35 GMT

One of the ideas our newly elected mayor ran on was that the "kids" were "disadvantaged" and needed remedial help not prison. I could not disagree more and did not vote for him.

That is tragic what happened to that cab driver. The "kids" should be tried as adults, their names made public, and sent to jail for a long time. Wishful thinking.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

twinsister — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:23:02 GMT

Such a tragic, senseless story. These kids should be tried as adults and serve time in a regular prison, not juvenile hall. This new "revolving door" bail system, is enabling criminals, no matter the age, to be more brazen and think they will not be punished. What has happened in NYC recently is proof of that. The criminals become victims and the real victims are punished.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

occasionalrain — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:43:16 GMT

Parents have rights and they have used them to have books banned, to remove their child from sex education class, to permit or deny their child to go along on class field trips... With rights come responsibility, so when their child commits a crime, the parents should be charged along with the child.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

OKPrincess — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:47:27 GMT

😢😢

Re: NJ Cab Driver

proudlyfromNJ — Mon, 22 May 2023 14:51:27 GMT

Murder in the first degree
Felony murder in the first degree
Conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree
Robbery in the first degree
Conspiracy to commit robbery in the second degree
Unlawful possession of a weapon in the second degree
Possession of a firearm by a minor in the fourth degree. Two of them got these charges.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

Spacrazy — Mon, 22 May 2023 15:19:30 GMT

I was totally unaware of this atrocity until now and find it abhorrent. I will pray for his family.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

SilleeMee — Mon, 22 May 2023 18:28:24 GMT

Sometimes I feel like I'm not living on the earth any more. It's more like what I would imagine hell to be.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

Forbidden Fruit — Mon, 22 May 2023 18:46:31 GMT

@Isobel Archer

These are my "favorite" excuses too, especially the brains aren't developed enough. Their brains are developed enough to hurt/kill but not developed enough to know the difference between right and wrong in the first place?? Oh, okay...

Re: NJ Cab Driver

Mz iMac — Mon, 22 May 2023 18:47:13 GMT

As of this date, there are 3 GoFumdMe accounts for Kofi Addo.

The account set up by his son has the most money........

Re: NJ Cab Driver

mspatmac — Mon, 22 May 2023 19:11:09 GMT

@proudlyfromNJ wrote:
Murder in the first degree
Felony murder in the first degree
Conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree
Robbery in the first degree
Conspiracy to commit robbery in the second degree
Unlawful possession of a weapon in the second degree
Possession of a firearm by a minor in the fourth degree. Two of them got these charges.

The Mother and Father should be charged along with them.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

spiderw — Mon, 22 May 2023 19:18:41 GMT

I am so sorry to hear this very sad terrible story. I worked with troubled youngsters and their families for 41 years and could have written a book. I saw it all. I can say without hesitation, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. There are so many factors and the damage is done at an early age. I hope these teens get their just punishment for this murder, they belong in jail and must pay for their crime. The parents should be held accountable too.

May the family find strength to heal, may the pain of grief subside with time and may peace of mind come to them.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

cindyNC — Mon, 22 May 2023 19:33:21 GMT

This is horrible. I'm glad that the murders were caught. We went to the local indoor mall in our small town the other day (Best Buy) and my comment in the parking lot was that this would be a place where there could be gun violence. A few of the mall stores, Best Buy included, cannot be entered from the mall. They have one entrance and it's from the parking lot.

Scary that thoughts likek that are now finding a place in my head.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

Mom2Dogs — Mon, 22 May 2023 19:44:26 GMT

Just tragic. I hope those involved ROT in JAIL.

Re: NJ Cab Driver

elated — Mon, 22 May 2023 21:16:09 GMT

I have always wondered what makes a teenager or young child want to kill another person. Have we developed into a sick society that thinks nothing of getting a weapon and murdering innocent souls. Does this person have a conscious or a moral compass? This just makes me cry to think about a hard working human being trying to take care of his family and others killed for the joy of it!!! What a sad story.