A Florida woman tried to help two strangers who said their phones were dead after coming to the area for hurricane recovery work. Deputies say the pair thanked her by taking off in her car.
The incident happened Monday, October 12, on Welcome Circle in Cantonment, Florida. Sheriff Chip Simmons said the pair told the woman they were from Lake County and had come to the area for hurricane recovery work.
The woman reportedly agreed to let them charge a phone inside her vehicle. She walked away, and deputies said the two took off in her car.
The car was later involved in a crash at Highway 29 and Ten Mile Road. Both people were arrested after deputies caught up with them.
Deputy Spots Stolen Car on Highway 29
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According to NorthEscambia.com, which spoke with Sheriff Simmons, a deputy located the car around 9:57 a.m. It was traveling south on Highway 29, just past West Roberts Road.
The deputy tried to pull the driver over, but the car kept going. The pursuit ended at Ten Mile Road, where the stolen vehicle hit other cars. Deputies arrested the two people at the intersection.
No Serious Injuries Reported After Crash
Escambia County EMS was called to check on someone in another vehicle involved in the wreck. Sheriff Simmons said no one was seriously hurt or taken to a hospital.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. The two people arrested were identified as 30-year-old Dustin Lee Kelley and 29-year-old Amanda Carr. Both were booked into the Escambia County Jail that afternoon.
Jail Records Show Additional Charges
The official Escambia County jail records show Kelley was booked at 3:38 p.m. Monday. He was booked on a grand theft charge, along with fleeing and eluding police with disregard for safety. Deputies also charged him with misdemeanor possession of no more than 20 grams of marijuana.
Carr was booked at 3:37 p.m., one minute before Kelley. Her only listed charge was grand theft. Both theft charges involve property valued at $10,000 or less, according to the booking records.
That amount falls under Florida’s third-degree grand theft statute. Both defendants were listed as being held without bond in the jail’s October 13 records.