A Umatilla woman was arrested after her mother spotted her stolen pickup which had broken down at a laundromat.
Officers were dispatched to the Sunshine Laundry, located at 2304 W. Main St., regarding a stolen vehicle on Thursday evening, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. Dispatch advised that the caller stated she had found her stolen vehicle at that address.
Upon arrival, the officers spoke with the registered owner of the vehicle, who advised that she saw her stolen blue Ford Ranger near Sunshine Laundry. She stated that her daughter, 47-year-old Melanie Patterson, was the one who stole it. The vehicle had already been reported stolen to the Eustis Police Department, the report said.
The victim also stated that she saw two men taking items out of the vehicle and begin walking eastbound on North Main Street. The officers approached the two men who were seen walking away from the vehicle at Quick Mart, located at 2101 W. Main Street, the report said.
The first man stated that Patterson picked him up at an address on Moss Street. She was driving when the vehicle broke down on West Main Street. He was sitting in the front passenger seat at the time before they walked back to the address on Moss Street. Once there, Patterson asked the first man and the second man to walk back to the vehicle and gather the items inside to sell so that she could have money to get the vehicle towed, the report said.
The second man advised that Patterson told him and the first man to gather items from inside the vehicle to sell so that she could have money to get it towed. He was not inside the vehicle when it broke down, and he met with the other two once it happened, the report said.
Officers proceeded to make contact with Patterson at 311 N. Moss Street where she was detained and read her rights. She advised that she drove the vehicle from Eustis to Moss Street to sell furniture. The vehicle broke down on West Main Street, and she walked from there to Moss Street. She was the sole driver of the vehicle throughout the entire incident, the report said.
The officers reviewed footage obtained from neighboring businesses where the stolen vehicle was found. The video showed Patterson getting out of the driver’s side of the truck and checking under its hood. She was then observed walking northbound toward Moss Street, the report said.
Patterson was subsequently placed into custody. During a search of her person, the key to the vehicle was found in her bra, the report said.
Patterson was charged with theft vehicle (passenger car/SUV/minivan) and transported to Lake County Jail. Bond was set at $2,500.