Crime spree suspect may have been away when cabbie killed

Jen Lawson

Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2003 | 9:21 a.m.

The former cabdriver who allegedly committed a series of armed taxicab robberies may have been in California when a driver for Western Cab was killed Monday.

The body of 39-year-old Aberga Yerga Asmamaw of Las Vegas was found about 12:30 p.m. Monday in the back seat of his cab. The coroner's office determined Asmamaw had been strangled.

Another cabbie called police after noticing Asmamaw's cab parked at an odd angle behind Smith & Wollensky, a restaurant at 3767 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

The cab was first noticed there around daybreak, Lt. Tom Monahan of Metro's homicide unit said.

Asmamaw's trip sheet shows he picked up passengers during the night, and investigators are using that to retrace his steps, Monahan said.

Western Cab officials declined to comment Tuesday on the homicide.

Monahan said it is "hard to tell" whether Asmamaw was robbed. He declined to say whether any cash was found in the cab or in Asmamaw's pockets when he was found.

But, Monahan said, based on receipts detectives found, ex-cabdriver Wagnaw "Kevin" Getahun appears to have been in California when Asmamaw was slain.

Getahun surrendered Monday evening to deputies with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office and said he was wanted for a series of robberies in Las Vegas.

"It's still early in the investigation so we're not excluding (the connection) permanently, but what we have now points away from that connection," Monahan said.

Homicide detectives traveled to Los Angeles on Tuesday to interview Getahun about a taxicab-related crime spree early Friday morning.

Police said a cab was carjacked, a passenger who flagged down the stolen cab was robbed, a gun was stolen in a robbery at Glamour Girls escort service and a gas station clerk was held up.

A second cab was carjacked Sunday afternoon, and a northwest Las Vegas man was abducted from his home at gunpoint and forced to drive around the city for almost an hour.