Couple caught driving stolen vehicle in east naples charged

EAST NAPLES, FL – A 24-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman driving a stolen vehicle were arrested Monday after the car’s rightful owner spotted them and contacted the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

Anay C. Baez of 5301 Coronado Parkway in Golden Gate and Victor Manuel Figueredo of 2996 Francis Ave. in East Naples are charged with grand theft auto.

The victim had reported his truck and boat trailer stolen from Bayview Park in East Naples on Sunday. Deputies recovered the trailer on Pineland Avenue on Monday.

While the victim was retrieving his trailer he saw his truck drive by. He began following the truck until it stopped at the end of Winifred Avenue where the male driver and his female passenger ran out of the vehicle in the direction of U.S. 41 East.

The victim notified CCSO. Deputies, along with the Aviation Unit, began searching the surrounding streets. Deputies in the air spotted a man and a woman matching the victim’s description of the suspects walking along Francis Avenue.

Patrol deputies made contact with the pair, later identified as Baez and Figueredo. They denied any involvement in the incident or knowledge of the truck being stolen.

A search of the truck turned up a wallet on the front driver’s side floorboard that contained both Figueredo’s and Baez’s drivers licenses as well as credit cards in their names.

Figueredo and Baez were taken into custody and transported to the Collier County jail. Figueredo was additionally charged with driving on a permanently revoked license.

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