Woman charged after Cornwall Centre crash appears in Regina court

The woman accused of stealing a Regina taxi and crashing it into several businesses — including the Cornwall Centre — has an extensive list of prior incidents.

Dakota Louison, 32, made her first appearance in Regina Provincial Court on Monday morning.

During the brief court appearance, the Crown read out the accused’s history of prior incidents, which include setting off a fire alarm at a local store, breaching probation, failing to attend court, damaging a motorhome window, and assault.

Louison often interrupted the judge or attempted to speak over him. In one instance, she asked the judge to release her and allow her to stay at a friend’s house, but that request was denied by the judge.

Louison is set to return to court on Jan. 5.

On Saturday at around 3 a.m., police responded to a report of the theft of a Regina Co-op taxi in the 1100 block of Angus Street near the cemetery. Police learned a woman had got into the taxi and threatened to kill the driver, which prompted the driver to get out and the woman to steal the vehicle.

Police found the taxi shortly after 3 a.m., when it was seen ramming into the doors of the Shoppers Drug Mart in the 2200 block of Broad Street.

Officers approached the taxi believing it had stopped, but the driver took off — and proceeded to drive around slowly for the next 15 minutes. Police then attempted unsuccessfully to deploy a spike belt to stop the taxi.

Shortly after 3:15 a.m., the driver piloted the vehicle into Colin O’Brian Man’s Shoppe in the 1800 block of Hamilton Street. The driver then took the cab north on Hamilton Street with significant damage before turning west on to 11th Avenue.

The damage to Colin O’Brian Man’s Shoppe. (Roman Hayter/980 CJME)

Police then saw the driver turn north through the doors on the south side of the Cornwall Centre, where the taxi came to a stop. Officers again approached on foot, but again, the taxi started moving.

The damage inside the Cornwall Centre on Dec. 18, 2023. (Scott Vickers/980 CJME)

The driver went through the mall and attempted to drive through the building’s north entrance near Saskatchewan Drive, but the taxi got hung up on the stairs.

The damage inside the Cornwall Centre on Dec. 18, 2023. (Scott Vickers/980 CJME)

Louison was charged with robbery, evading police, dangerous driving, mischief over $5,000, mischief under $5,000, impaired driving, refusal to comply with a demand, and failure to comply with the conditions of an undertaking.