Romantic thief accused of stealing taxi to impress his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day

By Agencies

GWERU: He was driven by love.

A romantic thief stole a taxi in Zimbabwe in a misplaced plot to impress his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day, according to cops.

Amos Mabiginye, 40, hired a cab in Gweru to take him to see his sweetheart then asked to get behind the wheel so she’d be impressed when he pulled up, police spokesman Emmanuel Mahoko told local media.

Driver Nigel Gombakomba “agreed and gave Mabiginye the car to drive,” the official said.

At a local shopping area, Mabiginye then gave the cabbie money to buy some drinks — and as soon as the driver got out, Mabiginye “drove off at high speed,” the police spokesperson said.

When the hoodwinked cabbie realized what had happened, he asked another driver for help, and together they chased after Mabiginye in the stolen cab.

They finally caught up with him at a gas station where he was fueling up the stolen taxi. There, they blocked his path.

The 40-year-old was detained with the help of garage security guards, who later handed him over to the local cops.

There was no word on where Mabiginye planned to meet his girlfriend or how she reacted to his misguided romantic gesture, which ultimately landed him in jail on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle.