Woman charged after taxi carjacking in Victoria, B.C.: police

Police in Victoria, B.C., say a woman has been charged after allegedly stealing a taxi cab while wielding a machete.

Victoria police said in a statement issued Tuesday that the woman requested a ride to several places on Friday night. When the cab driver asked her to pay up, she allegedly threatened the driver with a machete and drove off with the taxi, leaving the driver on the sidewalk.

The woman allegedly drove the taxi toward Saanich. Police there unsuccessfully tried to pull her over and decided not to pursue the taxi to avoid the risks of a high-speed chase.

Police say she then drove to the West Shore, where officers stopped the vehicle using a spike belt.

The accused is charged with robbery and possessing a weapon for dangerous purposes, police say. She is currently in custody, pending a future court date.

Victoria police say they are investigating the robbery, while Saanich police and West Shore RCMP are managing the driving-related aspects of the incident.

"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," Deputy Chief Jason Laidman with Victoria police said in the release.