What to Know
- Leonilda Cruz, 23, is scheduled to be arraigned in Lowell District Court on a number of charges after police say she carjacked a taxi.
- Police say Cruz became annoyed when cab driver Jimmy Gauthier did not stop after she flagged him down. Cruz punched him and drove off.
- Authorities say Cruz crashed into a dumpster hauler and then tried to steal a truck before being detained.
A Massachusetts woman accused of carjacking a taxi in Lowell and then crashing it into a truck will face a judge on Wednesday.
Twenty-three-year-old Leonilda Cruz, also of Lowell, is scheduled to be arraigned in Lowell District Court on a slew of charges including carjacking, attempted carjacking, attempted larceny of a motor vehicle, speeding and leaving the scene of an accident.
The cab driver, 65-year-old Lowell resident Jimmy Gauthier, told NBC10 Boston he was on his way to pick up a fare on Lawrence Street at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when he spotted a woman running towards his taxi. Police said Cruz became annoyed when the cab she flagged down would not give her a ride.
Gauthier said Cruz punched him, pulled him out of the vehicle and drove away.
"All of a sudden she gets in reverse," Gauthier said, as he described reportedly being dragged more than 20 feet.
Cruz was driving 70 miles per hour when she crashed the cab into the back of a dumpster hauler truck at the intersection of Rogers and Boylston Streets, according to police.
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Cruz allegedly tried to steal the truck, but was prevented by the truck driver. She then allegedly ran away, but was found by a responding police officer. Police said she also attempted to steal the responding officer's cruiser.
No injuries were reported during the ordeal.
A family member told NBC10 Boston that mental health issues may have played a role in the incident.
Cruz was cited and released on her own recognizance. It's unclear if she has an attorney.
