”Hey Taxi” driver Joe last seen early Wednesday morning
LAKE COUNTY – Local taxicab driver Paul Joseph Womachka – Joe to his friends – went missing sometime in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Womachka was last seen driving a white 2000 Chevrolet Venture mini-van with red letters reading “Hey Taxi” on the sides shortly after midnight Wednesday morning, according to a Lake County Sheriff”s Office press release. The license plate number is 8H96815, and the van has the number 19 in black on the rear of the vehicle.
According to Womachka”s Hey Taxi co-worker Desiree McAlear, he picked up a fare at Robinson Rancheria Bingo & Casino at around 12:15 a.m., and was reportedly on his way to a residence near Konocti Vista Casino.
“At this point in time we are unaware if he made it to his destination,” writes McAlear in an e-mail to friends asking for help looking for him. The identity of Womachka”s rider could not be confirmed as of press time Thursday.
Also unconfirmed were sightings of Womachka”s taxi van at Hartley Road in North Lakeport driving toward town at 12:40 a.m., and one around 2 a.m. by a law enforcement officer with no visual on the driver, according to McAlear.
Calls to his cell phone at around 5:30 a.m. went straight to voicemail, writes McAlear, and when it came time to switch with ex-wife and fellow driver Erica Womachka, there was no sign of him.
Erica Womachka said she was on good terms with her ex-husband, and said it was highly unusual for him to not show up without calling to let her know why when it was time to switch over at the beginning of her day shift. She made the missing person report to the LCSO Wednesday morning, and said she began to realize something was wrong fifteen minutes after he did not show up for the switchover at 8:30 a.m.
She and her ex-husband share custody of their three teenage boys, said Womachka. She described him as “the salt of the earth,” noting that he coached soccer at Upper Lake”s high and middle schools. Three of Joe Womachka”s family members are coming from Iowa and one is coming from New York because of his disappearance.
McAlear further described him as the type of taxi driver who “will come get you and take you one block,” even if it cost him to do so.
“People don”t have to wait for a search party,” said McAler. “Anything helps. Look in places you wouldn”t think of, or places that you would think of. It could be in a parking lot. Look everywhere,” she said.
Anyone who has seen Womachka or the van since the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 27 is asked to call Detective Nicole Costanza of the Lake County Sheriff”s Office at 262-4236.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
