Utica woman caught pretending to sleep in stolen car charged with grand larceny
Utica, NY – A woman who tried to evade police by locking herself in a stolen vehicle and pretending to be asleep was arrested Monday and charged with grand larceny after officers discovered the car had been reported stolen the day before.
Utica Police responded to a trespassing complaint at a residence on the 1200 block of Park Avenue on November 24. When officers arrived, they encountered the woman and began escorting her from the property. As they exited the building, she suddenly entered a nearby vehicle, locked the doors, and pretended to fall asleep, refusing to respond to officers.
During the encounter, officers ran the vehicle’s information and discovered it had been reported stolen on November 23 from Lafayette Street. Police contacted the registered owner, who confirmed the woman had no permission to be in possession of the vehicle. The owner arrived on scene and used a spare key to unlock the car.
Officers again attempted to engage with the woman, who continued to ignore commands. She was removed from the vehicle and detained.
After reviewing surveillance footage from the reported theft, investigators confirmed the suspect was the same person who had stolen the car. She was identified as 41-year-old Amber Beaton, with no known address.
Beaton was transported to the Utica Police Department and charged with grand larceny in the fourth degree.
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Key Points
- Amber Beaton, 41, was found inside a stolen vehicle after trespassing at a Utica residence
- She locked herself inside and pretended to sleep, refusing to cooperate with officers
- Surveillance footage confirmed she had stolen the vehicle a day earlier from Lafayette Street