Richard Anthony Leyba

Cab driver disputes gay man’s claim of being beaten
QSanAntonio, March 31, 2009

A Yellow Cab driver who has been accused of beating a gay man because he could not pay a fare says that he was defending himself. Guadalupe Trevino told Sheriff’s deputies that Richard Anthony Leyba struck the first blow when Trevino tried to stop him from running away without paying. (See related story below.)

According to the report filed with the Sheriff’s department, Trevino says that he grabbed Leyba by the shirt when he sought to run away without paying the $34 cab fare. He says Leyba hit him first while he was struggling to break lose. Trevino goes on to describe how Leyba pushed him to the ground.

Trevino says that when he got off the ground he fought back by punching Leyba in the face. He says the then got in his cab, drove away and then called 911 to report the incident.

The Sheriff's report quotes deputies saying that when they interviewed Leyba about the incident he was uncooperative and did not mention at any point that Trevino called him a faggot. In interviews with QSanAntonio and KENS-TV, Leyba maintains that Trevino used anti-gay epithets.

Deputy Ino Badillo, public information officer for the Sheriff’s department, told QSanAntonio that Trevino does not want to press charges against Leyba. He says that Trevino had called 911 so that he could have a report number to give to Yellow Cab so that he would not be charged for the unpaid fare.

Charges have been filed against Leyba for not paying the fare. In a March 29, interview with QSanAntonio Leyba said he did not yet know if he would press charges against Trevino.

San Antonio gay man beaten by cab driver on rural road
QSanAntonio.com, March 29, 2009

A 30-year-old gay man was thrown to the ground and beaten on a rural road by a Yellow Cab driver who thought he was going to be cheated out of the fare. Richard Anthony Leyba sustained blows to the head, a black eye, a hairline fracture of the nose and a dislocated shoulder. Leyba says the cab driver kept yelling, "I want my money faggot!"

Leyba grew up in San Antonio and recently moved back here from Grand Rapids, Michigan after his father died and his mother was left to live alone. He is a graduate of Southside High School.

Leyba told QSanAntonio that he was at the Essence Bar on North Main Avenue on Friday, March 27 having some drinks and enjoying the evening. He works as a bartender at Essence but had the night off.

At about 1:30 a.m. Lebya had one of the bartenders call a Yellow Cab so that he could go home. Leyba lives with his mother on the far Southside near Espada Road south of Loop 410. He says he’s taken cabs to this location on several occasions without a problem.

Leybay’s house is two blocks off of Espada Road on a dead-end lane. When the cab reached the turnoff the driver refused to go any further and told Leyba he had to get off there and pay the fare.

Leyba, who admits he was tipsy, says he did not have enough cash to pay the $34 fare and asked the cab driver to please drive on and he would get the money from his mother who was at home. Leyba recalls he had $6 and a "pocket full of quarters" that he offered as partial payment until they reached his house.

The driver refused to drive up to Leyba’s house. Instead he got out, opened the back door and pulled Leyba out and threw him to the ground and called him a faggot. The driver went through Leyba ‘s shoulder bag throwing the contents onto the road as he rifled through it. He patted Leyba down and checked his pockets for cash.

When he found no money the driver punched Leyba in the face and on the side of the head with his fist, all the while calling him a faggot. Leyba pulled himself free from the driver and ran toward his grandmother’s house, which is adjacent to his on the same road.

By the time Leyba and his grandmother came back outside the driver had sped away, leaving the contents of Leyba’s shoulder bag covered with tire tracks in the mud by the side of the road.

Leyba’s family called the Bexar County Sheriff’s department. With information obtained from the cab company Sheriff’s deputies located the driver later that night and questioned him. He told deputies that Leyba assaulted him first.

Leyba was taken by ambulance to the Southeast Baptist Hospital where he was examined and released the next morning.

Leyba had a hard time fighting back tears when he recounted his story to QSanAntonio. He seemed, understandably, confused and anxious. "I just don’t know," he said. "I wasn’t prepared for what happened to me. I just don’t know what I’ll do next."