Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Cabjackers took cam, forgot hard drive

TWO men who crashed a stolen cab on Portage Avenue early Saturday probably thought they'd pulled off a seamless heist by snatching the vehicle's security camera before they fled the crime scene.

What they forgot is that the hard drive that stores the camera's images is located in the cab's trunk -- crucial evidence that is now in the hands of Winnipeg police.

"I would hope that we'll catch them, because the images will be on the hard drive," said duty Insp. Gordon Gold. "We will have those images."

The crash occurred around 3:30 a.m. Saturday when two men came up to the 35-year-old taxi driver in the 1800 block of Alexander Avenue, pulled him out of the cab and sprayed him.

The cab driver was treated for minor injuries.

Half an hour later, police spotted the cab in the vicinity of Main Street and York Avenue. The vehicle took off at high speed.

Police chased the cab until it was abandoned at Portage Avenue and Home Street after hitting a tree.

Although the men took off with the cab's camera, the hard drive stores video images for up to two or three days.

The cab is currently in the Public Safety Building, where officers are reviewing the images to see if they can identify the men.

If not, Gold said police will likely publicize the images in the hopes of catching the offenders.

"With the cameras, it's really stupid for someone to do anything," he said. "They're not brain surgeons."

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition January 18, 2010 A8

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