A man accused in a series of robberies of taxi drivers in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood pleaded not guilty today.
Woodrow Blake, 48, was arrested late last week and charged with two counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery, police and prosecutors said.
The crimes all occurred at the same intersection, at O’Farrell and Beideman streets, beginning in mid-August, police spokesman Lt. Troy Dangerfield said.
In each case, a man hailed a cab and asked to be taken to that intersection, then upon arrival he would pull out a knife or other weapon and demand money from the driver, police said.
Blake was known to frequent the area where the robberies occurred, Dangerfield said.
None of the taxi drivers were injured in the robberies, the most recent of which occurred on Sept. 12.
Blake will return to court on Oct. 19 for a status hearing in the case. He remains in custody in lieu of $750,000 bail.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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