Woman Sentenced to More Than 1 Year for Stealing Car, Crashing it Into Another While Eluding Officers
NORFOLK, Va. — Patrice Elizabeth Jefferson, 20, was sentenced to serve one year and three months in prison after she pleaded guilty on Tuesday to stealing a running car from outside a 7-Eleven earlier this year and eluding police who attempted to pull her over.
On March 11, Ms. Jefferson got into the victim’s running car parked outside a 7-Eleven on East Virginia Beach Boulevard and drove it away. Soon after the victim reported the car stolen to Norfolk Police, officers saw Ms. Jefferson driving it on O’Keefe Street. Ms. Jefferson began driving behind the officers, and the officers turned on their lights, stopped driving and got out of their patrol car to block Ms. Jefferson. Instead of stopping, Ms. Jefferson drove onto a sidewalk around the officers and sped off in the 25 mph zone. The officers got back in their car to pursue Ms. Jefferson, and Ms. Jefferson eventually crashed the stolen car after she drove onto a curb, cut through a patch of grass and ran into a parked car. Ms. Jefferson then tried to run from officers, but she was quickly detained, and refused to properly identify herself.
Ms. Jefferson pleaded guilty on Tuesday to felony grand larceny of an automobile as well as misdemeanor eluding police, hit and run resulting in damage to property, and falsely identifying herself to law enforcement. Ms. Jefferson agreed to serve one year and three months in prison, with an additional five years and three months in custody suspended on the conditions that she pay restitution to the victim of the car theft and complete two years of supervised probation and uniform good behavior. Judge Joseph C. Lindsey accepted Ms. Jefferson’s plea agreement, found her guilty, and sentenced her per the agreement.
“Ms. Jefferson should not have stolen the victim’s car, and she should not have fled,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “I remind my fellow drivers, however, to help avoid being a victim: lock your car, keep your valuables out of sight, and be safe.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney A. Robinson Winn prosecuted Ms. Jefferson’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detective Arturo F. Garcia led the investigation.
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