Restaurant robbed with firecracker, taxi stolen, woman arrested: Winnipeg police

A taxi was stolen and a restaurant was robbed using firecrackers early Sunday morning according to Winnipeg police.

A taxi was stolen and a restaurant was robbed using firecrackers early Sunday morning according to Winnipeg police.

Police were called to River Avenue and Osborne Street around 3 a.m. for reports of a carjacking.

Investigators learned a woman had stolen a taxi and was driving the vehicle toward downtown. Police spotted the vehicle in the area of Young Street and Ellice Avenue and followed her until she became stranded in a snowbank in the 600 block of Balmoral Street.

Police said she ran from the area but was caught and arrested.

After her arrest, police learned she went into a restaurant in the 100 block of Osborne Street and demanded food, using a firecracker. Staff would not give her food, at which point police said she lit the firecracker inside the building, grabbed a pizza and left. No one inside the building was hurt.

After getting food, police said she got into a taxi, but was asked to leave after being belligerent.

The driver, a 54-year-old man, got out of the vehicle and police said that's when the woman got into the driver's seat and started to drive away.