Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence
Woman’s Guilty Plea to Grand Theft Auto While Escaping Domestic Violence Taken Under Advisement Pending Completion of Good Behavior, Community Service
NORFOLK, Va. — In September, a 20-year-old woman pleaded guilty to grand larceny of an automobile after Norfolk Police, thanks to the Flock license plate recognition system, found her driving a pickup truck that she had stolen from a relative of her then-boyfriend while escaping an alleged instance of domestic violence. The woman entered into a plea agreement that calls for community service and good behavior and, if she complies, will allow her to avoid a felony conviction.
On March 21, 2024, the victim — a relative of the woman’s then-boyfriend — reported her Ford F-150 stolen from her residence in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The local sheriff’s office entered the truck as stolen in their database, and, at about 7:30 the following morning, the woman drove the truck past a Flock license-plate reader camera in Downtown Norfolk. The Flock system notified a Norfolk Police patrol officer that the stolen truck was nearby, and the officer pulled the truck over on East Princess Anne Road without incident. After being read her Miranda rights and consenting to an interview with investigators, the woman gave a full confession in which she said she stole the truck from her boyfriend’s relative after her boyfriend had been physically abusive toward her. Prior to this incident, the woman had no criminal history.
On Sept. 15, the woman entered an agreement to plead guilty to felony grand larceny of an automobile. The woman admitted her guilt, and the plea agreement allowed for the judge to withhold a guilty finding on condition of the woman’s completion of 12 months of uniform good behavior, 50 hours of community service, and having no hostile contact with the victim. Should the woman abide by the terms of the agreement, the judge will find the woman guilty of misdemeanor petit larceny, and the woman will receive a 12-month suspended jail sentence. If the woman violates the terms of her plea agreement, the judge will find her guilty of the felony, and there will be no agreement on her sentence. Judge Joseph C. Lindsey accepted the plea agreement and set a review date for Sept. 16, 2026.
“The woman in this case committed a crime, but to demand a felony conviction in this case would compound crime with injustice,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “From what we can tell, the woman was herself a victim of the crime of domestic violence and looking for a path to escape. She made a bad decision, got caught, and admitted her guilt, and the victim received her property back. The woman’s plea will allow her to do community service and avoid the loss of her civil rights, giving her the opportunity to put this incident behind her and to get her life back on track. If she fails in this second chance, she will be convicted of the felony. Justice comes not from mechanically extracting the maximum charge and maximum penalty in every case. It comes from tempering punishment with mercy when mercy is itself just.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Wm. Joshua Holder is prosecuting this case, and Norfolk Police Detective Thomas W. Bowen led the investigation.
If you and/or someone you love are a victim of a crime — including but not limited to domestic violence — resources are available at the Norfolk Family Justice Center. For more information, please visit norfolkfjc.org, call 757-330-0376, or stop by the NFJC located at 835 Glenrock Road, Suite 100, between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. If you are in crisis, call the 24/7 hotline by dialing 757-251-0144. In an emergency, please call 911.
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