A taxi driver was dragged for 10 metres after a belligerent passenger robbed him of the vehicle, Winnipeg police say.
On Sunday at 3 a.m. police went to River Avenue and Osborne Street for the report of a carjacking.
Officers learned that a woman had robbed a 54-year-old man of the taxi he was operating and fled towards the city’s downtown.
Police say officers saw the stolen vehicle driven by the suspect on Young Street and Ellice Avenue and they followed the vehicle until it got stuck in a snowbank in the rear lane in the 600 block of Balmoral Street.
The suspect ran but officers safely placed her under arrest after a short foot pursuit.
Through the investigation, officers linked the suspect to a commercial robbery prior to the carjacking at a restaurant in the 100 block of Osborne Street.
Police say the suspect demanded food using a firecracker as coercion and after her demand was not met she lit the firecracker inside the crowded restaurant and ran away with a pizza. No injuries were reported.
Afterward, she attempted to get in a cab but was asked to leave by the driver after she became belligerent, police say.
When the driver exited the cab, the suspect took the opportunity to steal the vehicle, resulting in the cab driver being dragged for approximately 10 metres, causing upper body injuries.
The driver was taken to the hospital in stable condition and received medical treatment.
Consequently, a 31-year-old woman from Winnipeg has been charged and arrested. She remains in custody.
The investigation is still ongoing and anyone with information that may assist investigators is asked to call 204-986-6219 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).