A London, Ont. man is facing a second-degree murder charge after a taxi driver was beaten to death, the city’s first crime of its kind in nearly 40 years.

Vijay Bhatia, 64, was found in a convenience store parking lot in London, after police officers responded to an assault call on Saturday.

Police say Bhatia had picked up two passengers and investigators allege he was assaulted by one of them after driving the duo to the parking lot.

Bhatia’s friends and colleagues in the taxi industry say they're devastated by the crime.

"You cannot expect more from a human being," said Hasan Savehilaghi about Bhatia. "Every positive characteristic you could find, this person had it."

The owner of Blue and White Taxi, the company where Bhatia worked, says the in-taxi camera caught the crime.

"This was a senseless, needless murder," said Jason Kukurudziak. "It's disgusting."

Fellow taxi drivers say they are aware of the dangers posed to drivers at night, but say Bhatia was providing an essential service.

"Especially if you work at night time, it's an essential service," said Savehilaghi. "This is what this guy was doing, feeding his family and providing service."

Cody Perkin, 23, has been arrested and charged in connection to Bhatia's death.

Police say he is also charged with assault and uttering threats in relation to a separate alleged victim, who sustained minor injuries.

Investigators say they have not yet identified a motive.

With a report from CTV London's Brent Lale