Guilty Pleas in Beating, Stabbing of NJ Cab Driver

Two more people have admitted their roles in the brutal beating and stabbing of a southern New Jersey cab driver.

Eighteen-year-old Breanna Pimienta and 23-year-old Miguel Mercado, both of Cherry Hill, pleaded guilty this week to armed robbery charges stemming from the January 2012 attack. Another defendant, 21-year-old Mahadi Robinson, had previously pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge, and another is awaiting trial.

Burlington County prosecutors say the 20-year-old cab driver was cut across the neck during the robbery, which occurred in Mount Laurel. But the driver fled the cab and ran to a nearby home to escape his assailants.

Prosecutors say the robbery netted the defendants $40.

Both Pimienta and Mercado are scheduled to be sentenced April 19. Mercado faces up to 15 years in prison, while Pimienta could get 12 years.

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