Charles Howard Ayres Jr., 31, pleaded not guilty in Pierce County Superior Court to one count each of first-degree robbery and first-degree assault. Judge Katherine Stolz ordered Ayres jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Authorities allege he shot Yellow Cab driver Frazdag Eltahir at least twice early Thursday before making off with about $20 of the cabbie’s money.

Police arrested Ayres not far from the spot on Fifth Avenue Northwest in Puyallup where they found Eltahir wounded and screaming in pain inside his still-running cab.

Before he was taken to the hospital, Eltahir, known as “Fraz,” was able to provide a description of his attacker and the direction the man ran, according to charging documents.

The 36-year-old husband and father was in serious condition Friday in the intensive care unit at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with wounds in an arm, a leg, his chest and his abdomen. One bullet went through his arm – breaking it – before penetrating his chest and lodging in his abdomen, according to the charging papers.

Ayres denied being involved in any shooting and said he’d walked to the area from Tacoma, according to charging documents.

Other cabbies told police they saw a man matching Ayres’ description soliciting rides at the Emerald Queen Casino in Tacoma shortly before the shooting, according to court records.

At least one driver declined to give him a ride, but Eltahir picked him up, the records state.

Police said they found a 9 mm handgun in Ayres’ waistband. They also collected several 9 mm shell casings from inside the cab, according to court documents.

Deputy prosecutor Phil Sorensen said Friday that the investigation into the case was ongoing and that he might upgrade the charge against Ayres to attempted murder.

Ayres has no previous criminal record in Washington, according to state court records. He and his now-ex-wife filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection in federal court in 2004, federal court records indicate.

Adam Lynn: 253-597-8644

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