Police: Woman steals taxi, picks up paying passengers

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia police say a 65-year-old woman stole a taxi and picked up a fare.

They say Betty Thomas caught the cab near midnight Thursday and asked to be taken to the SugarHouse Casino. On the way, she asked the driver to make a stop at a gas station.

It was at the station where police say the woman got into a dispute with the driver about a fare before jumping into the driver's seat and driving off.

Police stopped the taxi 30 minutes later and found a 23-year-old woman and her infant daughter in the backseat.

The mother told officers she had hailed the cab earlier, not realizing it was stolen.

Thomas has been charged with various types of theft.