Woman 'In Shock' After Her Car Was Stolen & Used In Vaughan Mills Robbery 500-km From Home
She had been trying to sell the car on Facebook Marketplace.
Taylor-Anna Kobinger. Right: Taylor's stolen vehicle being used in a robbery at Vaughan Mills.
A woman is "in shock," after her learning her vehicle was used in a daring Vaughan Mills robbery days after the car was stolen from her in Laval, Quebec.
Taylor-Anna Kobinger told Narcity she had been trying to sell the 2011 Black Audi A4 on Facebook Marketplace and it was taken from her by someone who had come to test drive it on Sunday.
"He didn't seem sketchy at first," Kobinger recalled, as she explained how a man came to test drive the vehicle once but then asked for a second test drive to "make sure everything's fine," before he would be ready to buy the car.
That's when things went south.
"He started driving aggressively (...) my car would bump everywhere," said Kobinger.
Eventually, she asked him to pull over in a park area where they had agreed to complete the sale of the vehicle and she walked to the back of the car to remove her license plate.
"He ran back in. He didn't even have both feet inside the car, the doors were open. He pressed with his right foot and he just left," said Kobinger. "I tried to catch it (the door handle) back but then I fell (...) And he kinked the car for the doors to close by themselves."
She heard nothing until she got a call from York Regional Police (YRP) three days later, who told her that a vehicle matching the description of the one she put up for sale and with her Quebec license plate 'X10 SNP' had been involved in a robbery at Vaughan Mills.
\u201cWe\u2019re going to call a flag on this one.\n\nEarly this morning a 2011 Black Audi A4 with Quebec licence plate X10 SNP smashed through Vaughan Mills. Two suspects committed a break and enter and fled.\n\nIf you have any information on this vehicle or the suspects, please call police.\u201d— York Regional Police (@York Regional Police) 1675268906
"Never in my life have I thought that I would see my car in an actual mall," Kobinger told Narcity after seeing the video of the stolen vehicle speeding by several stores and dodging mall kiosks. "To see all the damage that they did to it is quite hurtful. But at least the first thing I thought is that I'm glad that nobody was hurt."
"I'm still in shock," she said. "I still can't believe it."
Kobinger still had documents proving this same vehicle with the same license plate was still registered under her name.
Police previously told Narcity would not comment on the situation and said they do not identify the victims of these kinds of crimes.
Since Wednesday's robbery, the vehicle has since been recovered and now Kobinger said it's her responsibility to go and pick it up.
"I have to drive 550 kilometres," she said, adding that she'll also be on the hook for fees after the car was towed to a garage. "I have to pay them even though it's not my fault. And I have to pay everything to repair my car, too."
Kobinger said she doesn't have insurance on the vehicle and plans to drive down to the Toronto area on Thursday to see the damages first hand before she decides what to do next.
Wednesday's robbery remains under investigation and YRP are asking anyone with information to contact them at 1-866-876-5423.