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Police identify suspect in killing of NYC Uber driver on New Year’s Day
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jan 8, 2026
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THEPALMER via Getty Images
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Jan 8, 2026
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Police are asking the public to help find a man they have identified as a suspect in the fatal shooting of a Bronx Uber driver on New Year's Day, the city’s first reported homicide of the year.
NYPD officials said 24-year-old Ehinel Troncoso is wanted in connection with 55-year-old Issa Mbolo-Isac’s death as the driver finished up a long New Year’s Eve shift behind the wheel. The shooting took place around 7 a.m. on Jan. 1 near Morris Avenue and the Cross Bronx Expressway in Mount Hope, authorities said.
Mbolo-Isac had just spoken to his brother by phone and was on his way to a mosque when two men approached his vehicle and tried to force him out, according to Fernando Mateo, chair of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers. When Mbolo-Isac tried to drive away, the men shot at the car. The NYPD said he was struck in his head and died at the scene.
Mateo called Mbolo-Isac a “great human being” and devout Muslim who “only gave of himself.” He said the driver’s grieving family was in a state of shock.
The federation put forward a $10,000 reward for information leading to the suspects’ arrests, which Mateo said is the largest reward the organization has ever offered. Police have not yet taken anyone into custody in the case.
“ I never see Issa even [have a] simple argument with somebody like that,” said Mansour Massamba, a friend who knew Mbolo-Isac for more than 20 years and called him one of the kindest people he’s ever known.
Massamba said Mbolo-Isac switched to driving for Uber about six years ago after selling his taxi medallion. He never seemed afraid to work overnight shifts, and he maintained a very high rating on the app, his friend said. News of Mbolo-Isac’s death shook his family in Burkina Faso, where he has a wife and three children, according to Massamba.
“The taxi drivers are the No. 1-targeted from the people in New York City,” he said. “They gonna just come after you, trying to provoke you.”
Mbolo-Isac’s death was the first homicide of 2026, officials said. It followed a year of record-low shootings and a 20% decrease in homicides across the city, according to police.
In November, another for-hire driver was stabbed and seriously wounded in the Bronx, near Randall Avenue and White Plains Road, authorities said. He was taken to Jacobi Hospital for emergency surgery as police searched for video that could lead them to the driver's assailant, according to Mateo.
The NYPD asked anyone with information about Mbolo-Isac’s killing to call its Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). People can also submit their tips on the Crime Stoppers website.
This story is based on preliminary information from police and may be updated.
Tagged
bronx
mount hope
new york city
public safety
transportation
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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