A Florida woman who agreed to help two strangers charge their phone ended up reporting her car stolen after the pair allegedly drove away with it while she was away from the vehicle. The incident took place on Monday, October 12, in Cantonment, where the man and woman reportedly told her they had travelled from Lake County to work on hurricane recovery efforts and had phones that needed charging. According to Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons, the woman allowed them to charge a phone inside her vehicle. However, the pair allegedly drove off when she stepped away. The stolen vehicle was later spotted by a deputy on Highway 29, leading to a police pursuit that ended in a multi-vehicle crash. Both suspects were arrested, and authorities reported no serious injuries.
Florida woman lets 2 strangers charge their phone before car theft
The incident began on Welcome Circle in Cantonment, a community in Escambia County in Florida’s Panhandle. According to Sheriff Simmons, the pair told the woman they were from Lake County and had travelled to the area for hurricane recovery work. The two said their phones had run out of charge. The woman agreed to let them charge a phone inside her vehicle, but when she walked away, they allegedly drove off in the car, according to the sheriff’s account reported by NorthEscambia.com.At around 9:57 am on October 12, an Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted the vehicle travelling south on Highway 29, just beyond West Roberts Road. The deputy attempted to stop the driver, but the vehicle continued moving, prompting a pursuit. The chase ended at the intersection of Highway 29 and Ten Mile Road, where the stolen vehicle collided with other cars. Deputies arrested both occupants at the scene.Escambia County Emergency Medical Services responded to assess someone in another vehicle involved in the collision. Sheriff Simmons said there were no serious injuries and no one was taken to hospital.The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. The available reports do not provide further details about the extent of the damage to the vehicles.
Two suspects arrested and charged
The suspects were identified as 30-year-old Dustin Lee Kelley and 29-year-old Amanda Carr. Both were arrested on October 12 and booked into the Escambia County Jail that afternoon, according to the reports. The booking details cited by Yahoo listed grand theft among the charges against Kelley, along with fleeing and eluding police with disregard for safety and possession of no more than 20 grams of marijuana. Carr’s listed charge was grand theft.According to the booking information reported on October 13, both were being held without bond. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, while the reported charges relate to the alleged vehicle theft and the events surrounding the police pursuit.
