Regina police charged a 31-year-old woman after several businesses and an entrance to the Cornwall Centre were damaged by a stolen taxi overnight.
Members of the Regina Police Service (RPS) responded at around 2:45 a.m. Dec. 16 to a report of a theft of a Co-Op taxi in the 1100 block of Angus Street.
“Police located the taxi moments later and attempted a traffic stop, however, the vehicle evaded police. Shortly after 3 a.m., the stolen taxi was spotted as it rammed into the front doors of a business in the 2200 block of Broad Street,” the release stated.
“Police were about to approach the taxi, believing it was immobilized when it began moving again. For approximately the next 15 minutes, police observed the vehicle driving at slow speeds and attempted to get into a position to deploy a tire deflation device (spike belt) to immobilize the vehicle.”
Police stated that shortly after 3:15 a.m., the taxi was observed having driven through the front of a business in the 1800 block of Hamilton Street. The vehicle, now with significant damage, continued north on Hamilton Street and turned west onto 11th Avenue.
“On 11th Avenue, police observed the taxi turn north and drive through the south entrance doors of the Cornwall Centre,” RPS stated.
“The stolen taxi drove into the main level of the Cornwall Centre and came to a stop. Officers began approaching the taxi on foot inside the mall and once again, it began moving and drove through the north entrance of the mall near Saskatchewan Drive.”
Police stated the taxi got hung up on the stairs and the driver, Dakota Louison, was taken into custody.
Louison faces numerous charges including robbery, evading police, dangerous driving, impaired driving and refusal to comply with A demand.
The accused will appear in Regina Provincial Court on these charges on Dec. 18, 2023, at 9:30 a.m.