One person was arrested Friday night after a taxi driver reported his cab was stolen downtown by a machete-wielding woman.
The incident began about 11:30 p.m. when the taxi driver reported being carjacked in the 500-block of Johnson Street.
Police said that a woman had hailed the taxi and requested rides to several places, but when asked to pay the fare pulled out a machete and took the cab — leaving the driver on the sidewalk.
Victoria officers kept track of the cab’s location using GPS monitoring as it headed toward Saanich, informing police there what was happening.
Saanich police located the cab and tried to pull it over, without success. They didn’t pursue it due to the potential risk to the public, but monitored the cab’s position as it headed toward the West Shore.
West Shore RCMP then tracked down the cab and stopped it with a spike belt.
The woman arrested at the scene is now in Victoria police custody.
“West Shore RCMP front-line officers acted quickly after receiving information from Victoria and Saanich police departments,” said Insp. Stephen Rose, officer in charge of operations for the detachment.
“This is a great example of how our police agencies shared critical information and worked together efficiently.”
Charges of robbery and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose have been sworn against Samantha McDonald.
Victoria police are investigating the robbery, while the Saanich and West Shore police departments are handling the driving-related offences.
