LOWELL, Mass. (WHDH) – Police in Lowell say they are investigating after a woman on Tuesday allegedly carjacked a taxi cab, crashed it and tried to steal a dump truck and police cruiser.
Authorities responded around 9:30 a.m. to Rodgers Street near Shedd Park for a report of a crash and found a badly damaged cab.
Jimmy Gothier says he was in his cab when he was suddenly pulled from his vehicle and dragged. Gothier was treated for rash burns.
“All of sudden she opens the front door of my car and starts trying to pull me out,” Gothier said. “When I’m pushing away, she started beating my face.”
The 65-year-old Lowell man told officers that the suspect became irate when he was not able to accept her as a fare.
The woman then crashed the cab into the back of a dump truck at about 70 mph, attempted to steal the truck, but was thwarted by the driver, according to police.
A nearby officer tracked the woman down. As he approached her, police say she attempted to steal the cruiser. The officer was able to remove her from the police cruiser
The suspect was identified as Leonilda Cruz, 23, of Lowell. She is charged with attempted carjacking, attempted larceny of a motor vehicle, carjacking, leaving the scene of an accident after causing property damage, operating a vehicle so as to endanger the public and speeding.
She is slated to be arraigned at a future date in Lowell District Court.
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