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'Oh God, Don't Let Him Be Dead' Yelled Cabbie's Widow

DENVER (CBS4) - As the reward for finding the killer of a Denver cab driver grows, his family is still trying to recover from the shock and loss.

"I wake up thinking that he's going to be walking in the door any time," Melva Bloomquist told CBS4 on Friday.

Melva told CBS4 that around the time of the homicide on Sept. 5, she woke up in the middle of the night feeling panicked.

Melva Bloomquist
CBS4's Melissa Garcia interviews Melva Bloomquist. (credit: CBS)

"That's actually when I felt that I knew something had happened," she said.

It wasn't until several hours later that the coroner called her to tell her her husband Darren was dead. She said the call was devastating.

"I'm sure the coroner doesn't have an eardrum left, because I yelled 'Oh God, don't let him be dead,'" Bloomquist said.

Melva and Darren Bloomquist (1)
Melva and Darren Bloomquist (credit: CBS)

Darren was employed by Metro Taxi. Officials say he had been dispatched to pick up a passenger in Green Valley Ranch south of the city when he pressed a button in the cab referred to as the "suspicious activity button" to alert them that something didn't feel right.

Darren Bloomquist
Darren Bloomquist (credit: CBS)

Police later found him dead inside his cab.

RELATED: 2 Men Sought In Cabbie Murder

The Bloomquists had been married for 18 years. Melva, who has a disability, says Darren was her sole provider and caregiver.

"I was never afraid when he was around," she said.

The murder was also a shock for the cab company Darren worked for in an effort to pay off his and Melva's debt. Drivers for Metro Taxi are now placing a black stripe on their headlights, and the company is collecting donations for Melva.

A memorial also stands outside the company headquarters, located at 5909 East 38th Avenue.

Memorial
(credit: CBS)

"As much as we're at a loss, we're also coming together as a family to support Melva and keep Darren's memory alive,"
Metro Taxi spokeswoman Kate McBride said.

McBride and her company set up a a gofundme page to help Melva with mounting debt. It states on the page:

"We will not rest until Bloomquist's murderer is brought to justice. It's sickening to think this happened to such a caring, selfless, and overall great guy. He always put others before himself in a way that few people ever do. He served our country, made sure his wife had the best care possible, and did his part to ensure that the citizens and visitors of Denver were transported quickly, safely, and fairly. He'll be greatly missed and while we can't bring him back, we're doing our part to ensure that whoever did this pays for what they've done."

Metro taxi will also hold a memorial service at their headquarters on Friday at 11 a.m.

Additional Resources

The following information was shared in a news release from Metro Taxi:

If you have any information regarding the events of Darren Bloomquist's death or leads on his murderer, please contact our Metro Taxi Denver line directly at 303-336-9108. Any information related to the tragedy would be greatly appreciated. Further, there is another additional $2,000.00 reward through Metro Denver Crimestoppers. Tips can be left with Metro Denver Crimestoppers at the following contact number 720-913-7867.

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