Woman admits to stealing van, running over owner with it

A woman charged with attempted murder for stealing a man’s van and running him over with it pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon Thursday.

Standing in the prisoner’s box with two small crosses pinned to her sweatshirt, Natasha Lee Canas, 20, entered guilty pleas to charges of assault with a weapon, theft of a motor vehicle and fleeing the scene of a collision. Once Canas is sentenced, the Crown plans to withdraw the attempted murder charge.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Canas was with Enrique Simbulan at his Edmonton home on Aug. 15, 2016. The two were in a relationship, Crown prosecutor Susanne Thompson said.

At about 11 p.m., Simbulan, then 40 years old, wanted Canas to leave. The pair got into his Chevrolet Venture so he could drive her home. Along the way, Canas became angry and demanded she be allowed to drive.

When Simbulan refused, she began to scream at him. At some point, he pulled over and asked her to get out. When she wouldn’t, Simbulan, becoming increasingly concerned, tried to get out of the vehicle himself. Canas tried to stop him by holding onto his seatbelt, but he escaped.

Once alone, Canas got in the driver’s seat and pulled an “aggressive U-turn,” Thompson said. The vehicle then began accelerating toward Simbulan, who was walking away.

Thompson told the court there’s a surveillance video that shows the van striking Simbulan and crashing into the concrete steps of a nearby business.

Simbulan ended up underneath the van and was knocked unconscious. Canas then drove away in the van, Thompson said.

About two minutes later, Simbulan came to.

“He initially thought he was dead,” Thompson told the court.

Terrified that Canas would return, Simbulan went to hide in a nearby alleyway.

Meanwhile, Canas continued driving the stolen vehicle until she crashed it into the bucket of a bulldozer. At that point, she abandoned the van and fled on foot. She was arrested a few days later. Canas remains in custody and was denied bail.

The guilty pleas were agreed to by the Crown. A pre-sentencing report has been ordered and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 15.