Taxi driver, father of 10, shot and killed in Rahway

RAHWAY — Imad Alasmar was aware of the dangers of being a taxi cab driver.

He had been robbed twice while on the job. One time years ago a fare grabbed the money from his hands, but didn't harm him and ran. Another time he was hit with a woman's purse.

"We always prayed he'd go to work and come back safe," said Ibtesam Alasmar about her husband of 25 years and the father of their 10 children, ages 8 to 22.

Tuesday night Ibtesam Alasmar's prayers went unanswered. Her husband was shot and killed in his taxi cab on the 1400 block of Bedford Street in Rahway, according to acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park.

Alasmar, 57, of Edison was found around 11 p.m. in his cab by Rahway police.

Immediately following the shooting, Alasmar’s vehicle collided with a parked car, resulting in minor injuries to a man and serious, but non-life threatening injuries to a woman, who was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

A reward of up to $10,000 for information leading an arrest and indictment in the case is being offered by Union County Crime Stoppers. Tips can be given anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477), via text message by texting “UCTIP” plus a message to 274637 (CRIMES), or online at www.uctip.org

The motive and shooting is under joint investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Homicide Task Force and the Rahway Police Department.

Alasmar's son, also named Imad Alasmar, 21, said he wished it was him rather than his father, who had been killed.

Searching for a better life

Alasmar was born in Jordan and came to the U.S. in 1990. He had worked for Station Cab Inc. in Rahway for 3 1/2 years. He had previously worked at 7-Eleven and QuickChek convenience stores when he first came to the U.S.

"He went back to taxi driving because that's what he enjoyed to work as, a taxi driver," said Ibtesam Alasmar, adding her husband, who had been a high school English teacher in Jordan, had worked as a taxi driver for different companies in New Jersey since about 1993.

At Station Cab Alasmar worked various schedules during the day, night and weekend. He was working the night shift Tuesday.

She said her husband, one of eight siblings, liked driving a taxi cab because he liked to drive around, talking and meeting new people. She said certain customers would ask specifically for him because he was so nice.

All but two of Imad Alasmar's siblings came to the U.S.

"With the situation in the Middle East, they all came here to have a better life for us and our kids," Ibtesam Alasmar said from the couple's Edison home Wednesday afternoon. "He ended up working at 7-Eleven and as a taxi driver just to get the money to help himself and now he's gone."

Alasmar said police knocked on her door around 4 a.m. Wednesday and told her that her husband had been fatally shot in his cab during a robbery.

She is looking for a Muslim way to bury her husband and has reached out to a mosque. She said Muslim burials are usually within 24 hours of death. The family, however, has been told he can't be buried until after an autopsy is conducted. The autopsy was scheduled to take place Wednesday.

"He was a good guy, good workers. Did a lot of hours," Thomas J. Maye Sr., president of Station Cab Inc. said about Imad Alasmar.

"This is the first time this has ever happened," said Maye, who has run the company since 1973, The company dates back to 1926,

He said the homicide occurred just days before cameras, mounted inside and outside, were scheduled to be installed in the cars.

In the meantime, Maye said he just reminds the drivers to be careful.

The scene

The homicide occurred in a quiet Rahway neighborhood off Westfield Avenue near the Clark Township border. On Wednesday, police were walking along Bedford Street, stopping to talk to some residents about what they might have seen or heard.

A resident at 1443 Bedford St., who declined to give his name, said he heard a crash around 11 p.m. and went back to watching television but a few minutes later heard screaming and yelling in front of the home at 1451 Bedford St.

He believes the injured woman, in her 20s, was standing on the passenger side of one of two cars parked in front of the home when it was struck by the cab. He believes the woman's boyfriend was in the car.

The woman was lying on the street between the cab and the curb and her mother was screaming. He said the woman and her boyfriend both were taken away by ambulance. The mother was not injured.

He said the cab windshield was cracked.

Robert Barkoff, who has lived at 1457 Bedford St., for about 46 years, said a car was parked in front of his home and the mother at 1451 Bedford had her car parked in front of a tree by her home when he left his home. When he returned around 11 p.m. a taxi cab was by the tree and one of the other cars was in the street sideways and the other one was all mangled.

Barkoff said there was fatal shooting of a 21-year-old man on nearby on Westfield Avenue in June and there have been a few burglaries in recent years.

"It's scary," he said, adding, "that poor guy, he gets a call to pickup someone and gets shot right away,"

But even in moments of great sadness come examples of a caring community spirit.

Lori Cusmano stopped by the cab company Wednesday to ask Maye if there was anything she could do for Alasmar's family.

"I'm upset about it. I've lived here since I was 22 and we've had lots of problems in Rahway and nothing seems to get solved," said Cusmano who has been a robbery victim. "It just makes me sick"

Cusmano does not know the Alasmars, and was simply at the cab company because she was moved by what happened.

"I want to give anything to the family that I can," said Cusmano, adding she doesn't have much but would like to contribute something. "I just hope they can start something to help this man and his family."

Maye said he is waiting to hear from the family about any assistance they need.

Anyone with information about the homicide and accident is asked to contact Homicide Task Force Detective Janet Lopez at 908-347-8491 or Sgt. Kevin Grimmer at 908-447-3777.

Staff Writer Suzanne Russell: 732-565-7335; srussell@mycentraljersey.com