Quebec woman shocked to find stolen Audi driven through Ontario mall in 'insane' theft
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall theft.
Taylor-Anna Kobinger, a resident of Laval, Que., listed her 2011 Black Audi A4 on Facebook Marketplace in January as a means to raise the funds needed for a down payment on a home.
On Jan. 29, Kobinger said a man responded to her ad and came to her home in order to test drive the vehicle. She said he took the car out twice – on the first drive, she said everything went accordingly, but when he asked to test drive it a second time, she said the man began to “drive dangerously.”
“He was really driving very dangerously and I didn't feel secure, so I [asked] to change places,” Kobinger said.
But, when she stepped out of the passenger seat, she said the man hit the gas and drove away.
“I tried to run after it. I fell. I slipped because I had rain boots,” she said. “And from that moment, I haven't seen my car.”
However, on Wednesday morning, Kobinger said York Regional Police (YRP) told her that her car had been involved in a theft – more than 550 km from her home in Laval.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
According to York Regional Police (YRP), a car with the same license plate as Kobinger’s had been driven through the glass doors of an Ontario mall early Wednesday before allegedly breaking into an electronics store.
YRP was not able to confirm Kobinger as the owner of the car, but Kobinger provided documentation to CTV News Toronto showing her vehicle matched the description and plate number provided by police in an earlier press release.
Surveillance footage from inside Vaughan Mills, just north of Toronto, shows a 2011 Black Audi A4, with Quebec licence plate, driving into one of the mall's closed entrances at a high rate of speed.
The vehicle is then seen driving erratically through a number of hallways in the shopping centre before smashing through a different exit and fleeing the scene.
The video does not show, however, when the suspects allegedly broke into the store.
“It is an audacious crime,” Sgt. Clint Whitney told reporters outside the mall on Wednesday. “It is unacceptable. People work in this mall, there is going to be cleaners, there is going to be security personnel. So we are just fortunate that nobody was hurt and it is property damage only.”
The incident happened at around 1:10 a.m. at the shopping centre near Highway 400 and Rutherford Road. Police arrived shortly after 1:30 a.m.
He said that the vehicle, which had been reported stolen, was last seen heading towards Jane Street.
“It did look like they were going shopping in that vehicle. It is very, very audacious,” he told reporters. “I don’t know what was going through their minds.”
A vehicle is seen driving through a Vaughan Mills mall as part of a smash-and-grab style robbery. (York Regional Police)
Whitney said police are looking for two suspects in connection with the incident but are unable to provide a description, as both were disguised by hoods at the time.
He said the suspects made off with a “quantity of electronic devices” and could face extensive charges in connection with the apparent joyride.
At about 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Kobinger said YRP called her and told her of her car’s involvement in the incident.
“First, I cried, I freaked out because I don't have that kind of money to fix it,” Kobinger said when asked how she took the news.
“Never in my life did I expect to see my car in a mall – literally never – I was very surprised to have it all the way [in Vaughan].”
While Kobinger said she’s glad her car has been found, she also said she’s struck with worry over the costs of having to travel to retrieve it and the subsequent repairs.
Vaughan Mayor Stephen Del Duca called the incident “absolutely insane” when speaking to CP24 Wednesday.
“Earlier this morning when I heard the story I couldn’t believe it,” Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca told CP24 on Wednesday.
“I shop at Vaughan Mills, so many in our community do. It is just outrageous. I have lived here for 35 years. Vaughan is a very safe community but to see the way that some people, the criminal element, are going about doing what they are doing, it is outrageous and we need every hand on deck to try to fix it.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to quash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Competition Bureau launches inquiry into Lululemon over 'greenwashing' allegations
Canada's Competition Bureau has launched an inquiry into Vancouver-based Lululemon following a complaint from members of an environmental group.
An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, U.S. officials say
An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to U.S. officials. The soldier was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to the United States, but travelled to Russia.
Manitoba Court of Appeal dismisses Peter Nygard's appeal of extradition order
The Manitoba Court of Appeal has dismissed Peter Nygard's application for a judicial review of an order to extradite the former fashion mogul to the United States, where he faces sex trafficking and racketeering charges.