A woman is facing charges after allegedly using a machete to hijack a cab in B.C.’s capital region last week.
On Friday, May 31, Victoria Police received a report from a taxi driver on Johnson Street who said he had his cab stolen by a woman wielding a machete.
Investigators were told a woman hailed the taxi and requested a ride to several locations, and when the driver asked her to pay the fare, she threatened the driver with a machete and drove off.
Officers monitored the vehicle’s location as it headed toward neighbouring Saanich. Saanich police attempted to pull over the taxi, however, it drove away. Police didn’t pursue, due to the risk of a high-speed chase.
Officers continued to monitor the taxi as it drove to West Shore, and RCMP brought the stolen vehicle to a stop using a spike belt.
“Incidents like this threaten our collective sense of security, but the citizens of our communities should feel confident that their police departments are working together to keep them safe. I’m proud of the quick response and ongoing coordination from our officers in using all the resources available to them to maintain control of the situation and ensure this suspect was taken into custody,” said VicPD Deputy Chief Jason Laidman in a news release.
Police say a woman was charged with one count of robbery and one count of possessing a weapon for dangerous purpose.
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