A gray Chevrolet Corvette reported stolen in Houston was stopped while headed into Mexico early Wednesday. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers intercepted the sports car at an international bridge in Laredo, Texas, KGNS reported.
The driver was identified as Yareli Guadalupe Sanchez, 27. Webb County booking records list her home city as Houston, Texas. She was booked into Webb County Jail on November 4, the same day CBP stopped the Corvette.
Laredo police responded to the bridge at about 1:48 a.m., according to the Laredo Morning Times, which cited the police department. CBP officers had detained Sanchez before the local police response.
Her booking record lists an arrest time of 6:58 a.m. and bonds totaling $5,500. That total covers one felony charge and one misdemeanor charge.
A Bad Match
During the vehicle check, Laredo police found that the plates on the Corvette did not match its vehicle identification number or registration sticker, the Morning Times reported. Further checks showed that the car had been reported stolen in Houston in late October.
Her booking record lists unauthorized use of a vehicle as a state jail felony, with a $5,000 bond. A second charge, displaying a fictitious license plate, is listed as a Class B misdemeanor with a $500 bond.
Two Separate Charges
Under Texas law, unauthorized use of a vehicle means a person knowingly or intentionally operates someone else’s vehicle without the owner’s consent. The law focuses on the use of the vehicle without permission, and it classifies the offense as a state jail felony.
The standard punishment range for that level of felony is 180 days to two years in state jail upon conviction. A court may also impose a fine of up to $10,000 in addition to confinement.
Texas also makes displaying a fictitious license plate a Class B misdemeanor. A conviction at that level can bring up to 180 days in jail, a fine of up to $2,000, or both.
Sanchez’s magistration was recorded at 1:57 p.m. on November 4. The Morning Times reported that she remained in custody Wednesday afternoon.
All parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.