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Grand Theft & Then Call a Cab?

People make mistakes all of the time, but usually they don’t end up on the front page of the newspaper.

A Utah man was recently caught for grand theft auto when he was found running away from the disabled vehicle. There was no car chase or spectacular crash. Instead, the man simply didn’t know how to drive a manual gear-shift vehicle.  The man was eligible for bail after he saw a judge and received his sentence.

The Utah man and his girlfriend stole the car for a joyride. As they were driving down the road, the car’s owner spotted them. The owner already knew that his car was missing so he was trying to track it down with friends and family. As he was sitting in the passenger’s seat of his girlfriend’s car, the perpetrators drove right past him.

The suspects weren’t driving too fast, however. The Utah man realized that he was stuck in first gear and didn’t know how to shift upward for faster speeds. He decided to abandon the car and call a taxi. The couple found a local store, called a taxi company and waited for the driver. By this point, the car’s owner had already called the police. Officers simply used the taxi driver’s information to find the couple.

Once the couple saw the police vehicles approaching, they took off running. The pair didn’t get too far on foot, however. After a short run, both suspects were caught and booked.

The police were dumbfounded during the subsequent interviews with the couple. It turns out that the female passenger knew how to drive a stick-shift vehicle. In fact, she was teaching the driver how to maneuver the stick during the auto theft process. It simply never occurred to the couple that the female passenger should drive the car herself.

The female was a minor, but the male driver was of age. The police booked him on auto theft and placed him into the jail system. Because the man has the right to one phone call, he should be able to contact a loved one for bail-bond money.

In a short time period, the man will face a judge and bail should be set. Although auto theft is a serious felony, the person isn’t considered a danger to himself or others. A reasonable bail amount will probably be set for this defendant.

If the man’s family cannot pay for the bail outright, such as $10,000, the family should seek out a bail bond professional. These bondsmen provide the man with an insurance policy. Loved ones pay a premium, such as $1,000, to post a $10,000 bail amount. The man must show up to all of his court proceedings so that the bond doesn’t have to be paid in full.

This suspect has a strong case against him, but a solid bail bond will allow him to return home during the trial. Bail bonds are helpful policies so that fewer people remain in jail as they await their trial. In the end, the bond will be covered when the suspect completes his court proceedings.

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