Gone in 60 seconds – but arrested in 13 days.
Peel Regional Police have tracked down a woman who allegedly stole an SUV who’s owner was run over by his vehicle in the process.
And the expensive 2022 Porsche Cayenne has been recovered, too.
But the hunt for a second car, believed to have been involved with the obfuscation effort to trick the victim into handing over his keys, and the accomplices in the Mississauga carjacking is ongoing.
“On September 19, 2024, the suspect, 18-year-old Sarah Badshaw of Brampton turned herself into police,” Const. Tyler Bell-Morena said in a statement released Friday.
Badshaw is charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm, theft of motor vehicle, failing to remain after an accident resulting in bodily harm and with driving without a licence.
She remains in custody awaiting a bail hearing.
The charges in this case have not been tested in court, but cops said she was known to police prior to the Mississauga carjacking.
Social media posts show Bradshaw was raised in a “big family with eight siblings” and she has advertised online to babysit for $18 an hour.
“Sarah has been charged with prior fraud-related offences in Peel and is wanted by other GTA police services for separate investigations,” Bell-Morena said in the police statement.
All of this stemmed from an incident that unfolded around 2 p.m. on Sept. 6.
Video, released by investigators on Wednesday, shows a young woman ringing the doorbell of a home near Winston Churchill Blvd. and Eglinton Ave. W. and asking a man to see a Porsche advertised for sale in Auto Trader.
“I’m waiting for my dad, so if I can take a look,” she suggests to the SUV’s owner.
The horrific security video shows the car’s owner, who noticed the driver had locked him out of the vehicle after hopping in the driver’s seat and starting up the engine, being violently dragged under the SUV.
While viewing the vehicle, police allege the thief “reversed rapidly, striking and injuring the victim before fleeing with the stolen vehicle.”
The man is still recovering from the ordeal but his injuries are not life-threatening.
In the meantime, cops are still very much on this case as they look for alleged conspirators.
“This investigation remains active, and investigators anticipate additional arrests and charges,” police said. “Anyone with information about this incident or any incidents’ involving Sarah is asked to call investigators at the 11 Division Auto Theft Unit at 905-453–2121, ext. 1152.
This is also a reminder of how dangerous it is to sell major items from home.
“Police are encouraging the public to be vigilant when selling items online, and to utilize Peel Regional Police Buy and Sell Exchange Zones located at each Peel Police Division.”
This shocking incident is just the latest reminder of how troubling the auto theft epidemic has become in the GTA where more than 50 vehicles are stolen each day. With technology changes, carjackers are becoming more brazen in their efforts to gain the keys to vehicles.