80-year-old vet robbed at gunpoint in Stanly County

STANLY COUNTY, N.C. — Stanly County investigators are searching for one of two teenagers accused of robbing an 80-year-old cab driver.

The teen is considered armed and dangerous.

Bill Eutsler walked Eyewitness News anchor Liz Foster through the terrifying moments when he said two teenagers robbed him at gunpoint after he had been driving them around for three hours.

(RAW VIDEO: 80-year-old vet talks about getting robbed at gunpoint)

“He put the gun right up against my forehead,” Eutsler said.

Stanly County Sheriff George Burris said Madison Beckford and Thomas Clark called for a cab Saturday morning.

“We believe they were plotting this the whole ride,” Burris said.

(Thomas Clark, Madison Beckford)

Eutsler, an 80-year old Vietnam veteran, picked them up in his personal car because all of the taxi drivers for his family’s company were unavailable.

After driving the teens to uptown Charlotte, then back to Albemarle, the teens allegedly asked Eutsler to take a shortcut and turn onto City Lake Drive.

“Right then, I said something ain’t right,” Eutsler said.

The veteran told Channel 9 the suspects forced him out of the car at gunpoint, made him lay down on gravel and stole cash and his cellphone.

(Bill Eutsler)

“I was scared, I’m not going to lie,” Eutsler said. “I was scared and I just thought this was it. And I just said, ‘Lord help me.’”

“It’s very disheartening to know that young folks are going to this type of violence,” Burris said.

Eutsler said the suspects left him and drove off in his car.

About 20 minutes later, around noon Saturday, investigators said Albemarle police spotted the stolen car.

They say Beckford was driving and there was a 1-year-old baby in the car without a car seat.

Investigators believe she had dropped Clark off and picked up the baby.

Authorities are still looking for Thomas Clark.

“I just hope they catch him before he hurts somebody else,” Eutsler said.

From now on, he said he plans to carry Mace with him when picking people up for rides.

The investigation is ongoing, but both suspects are already facing multiple charges, police said.

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