Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, November 17, 2023
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) has arrested Payton Robinson, DOB 5/25/05, of Tampa, and Haley Aldridge, DOB 5/14/03, of Orlando, on charges of Attempted Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle. This incident correlates with ongoing statewide and nationwide trends of Dodge Challenger/Charger thefts.
On November 14, at around 3:00 a.m., an SCSO deputy observed a gray Dodge Charger with its lights off traveling at a high rate of speed on Clark Road. The deputy pursued the vehicle as the sheriff's office simultaneously received a 911 call from the nearby BMW dealership. The caller reported three suspects breaking into and attempting to steal a white Dodge Charger from the car lot. The vehicle pursuit was terminated due to dangerous speeds.
Shortly after, a vehicle crash involving a gray Dodge Charger was reported on I-75 north of Clark Road. The caller reported seeing multiple subjects fleeing the scene. With assistance from a Sarasota Police Department officer and his K-9, two of the three suspects were tracked and apprehended in the area.
Upon further investigation, deputies found probable cause to charge the two defendants with attempted grand theft. Additionally, Aldridge, the registered owner of the gray Charger, was found to have violated probation from a previous robbery charge in Florida.
Dodge Challengers and Chargers have been targeted recently in local auto theft cases as these models will no longer be manufactured, making their parts more valuable. The stolen vehicles are rarely recovered, and SCSO has three open cases involving similar auto thefts. This investigation is active and ongoing.
News article: https://www.sarasotasheriff.org/news_detail_T13_R1473.php