Man charged with 2nd degree murder in death of London, Ont., taxi driver

Police say a man is facing a murder charge after the body of a taxi driver was found early Saturday in a convenience store parking lot in London, Ont. (Photo: Participants Formation/ Flickr)

LONDON –Police say a man is facing a murder charge after the body of a taxi driver was found early Saturday in a convenience store parking lot in London, Ont.

They say officers responding to an assault call found 64-year-old Vijay Bhatia of London without vital signs and he was pronounced dead in hospital.

Investigators say Bhatia had picked up two passengers and allege he was assaulted by one of them after driving the pair to the parking lot.

They say both of the passengers were located and taken into custody, but one was later released without charges.

A 23-year-old London man is charged with second-degree murder in Bhatia’s death.

Police say he is additionally charged with assault and uttering threats in relation to a separate alleged victim, who sustained minor injuries.