Man accused in carjacking of taxi driver

ORANGE CITY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Early Thursday morning, Jessica Hardy was working as a cab driver when she was attacked by a passenger, she says.  Police say that passenger was Matthew Rosenblum.

Hardy told FOX 35 in an exclusive interview, " We were going to Orange City. I picked him up in Deltona and he scooted behind me and actually grabbed me by the neck and put a knife up to my throat."

Hardy explained that the passenger told me to put the car in park. "Took all my money, told me not to scream or do anything irrational, and no one would get hurt.  He grabbed me out of the car, kind of manhandled me a little bit. I'm a little sore today."

She wrestled with him and got her cellphone back, then called 911.  Hardy says she knew Rosenblum as the former dispatcher from her cab company and they were having a normal conversation before it got violent.

When Orange City Police were looking for Rosenblum and the stolen car, two 911 calls were received.  Police believe they were bogus calls made my Rosenblum to try and get police off his tail. 

Police found the stolen car a few blocks away; a few minutes later, they found Rosenblum walking in the area.

A judge on Thursday denied Rosenblum bond, calling him a violent criminal.  Hardy says she's a bit shaken but will be back at work.  "I'm going to try and hope that my boss will possibly let me work a day shift, because I'm one of the few females that works nights."