Machete-wielding woman charged after allegedly taking taxi on multi-city ride in B.C.
CTV
A Vancouver Island woman is facing multiple charges after allegedly brandishing a machete and taking a taxicab on a multi-city ride across Greater Victoria after the driver asked her to pay her fare.
A Vancouver Island woman is facing multiple charges after allegedly brandishing a machete and taking a taxicab on a multi-city ride across Greater Victoria after the driver asked her to pay her fare.
Samantha Ann Ethel McDonald, born in 1994, was charged Tuesday with robbery, possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, and assaulting a peace officer causing bodily harm, after three police departments in the region worked to track down the stolen taxi over the weekend.
The incident began just before 11:30 p.m. Friday, when a taxi driver in downtown Victoria reported his car was stolen by a woman wielding a machete.
Victoria police investigators say the woman had initially requested a ride to several locations, but when the driver asked her to pay for the ride, she threatened the driver with the knife and then drove off with the cab, leaving him on the sidewalk near Johnson and Wharf streets.
Police monitored the cab's location as it headed into neighbouring Saanich, where officers tried unsuccessfully to stop the vehicle, authorities said.
"Saanich police officers did not pursue the taxi due to the risk a high-speed chase could have to the public," a statement from the Victoria Police Department said.
Officers continued to track the stolen cab as it traveled to the West Shore, where Mounties used a spike belt to finally stop the vehicle.
