A 20-year-old man is in police custody after a Livery cab driver was shot and killed in the Bronx early Sunday morning.

The driver's car service, Premium Bronx, has identified him as Roberto Pita.

Police say the 37-year-old was shot multiple times by the passenger inside his black Lincoln Towncar at West 177th Street and Davidson Avenue in Morris Heights.

They say the car then struck the back of P.S. 360 on Tremont Avenue.

"I heard the shots. Two or three shots. And I looked back, I saw the car coming faster. I paid it no mind, kept walking my dog. Then I heard a crash against the wall," said one witness.

The passenger, who remains in police custody, was brought to St. Barnabas Hospital with face and hip injuries.

Police also recovered a gun from the car.

Sunday night, Pitas friends and colleagues stood in solidarity and sadness.

"These types of crimes will not be tolerated. These crimes not only destroy families, but also destroy communities," said Fernando Mateo of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers.

Officials say pita is the first livery cab driver to be murdered this year, although they say others have been attacked and robbed.

"For what? How much you carry in on night, $50, $75? They kill you for that?" asked livery cab driver Brejnev Jimenez.

Drivers say an incident like this underscores the dangerous nature of their job and leaves them not only grieving their loss, but concerned for their own safety.

"Its not easy putting a passenger in the back of the car without knowing what you're putting there," said Edwin Vega, a livery cab driver. "You don't know what the person's got. You can't stop and frisk when you put them in the car."

"It could happen to me. I could be the one who picked up that call," said driver Joel Rivas.

Officials say overall crime against drivers is down, in part because technology is making it easier to find and prosecute the perpetrators.

"We want everyone to know to that livery cabs have cameras," Mateo said. "We will capture your picture and you will be caught."

Pita leaves behind a wife and two sons in Ecuador. Mateo says the federation will see that he gets a proper burial in his home town. Money is being collected for his family.

Those who would like to make a donation can do so by sending a check, care of Roberto Pita, to:

Premium Bronx Car Service
900 East Tremont Avenue
Bronx, N.Y.

Flash Car Service
45-86 3rd Avenue
Bronx, N.Y.