On Monday, October 12, a woman in Cantonment’s Welcome Circle stopped to let two men and women from Lake County charge their phones inside her 2015 Ford Escape. She was on a short trip to a grocery store when the strangers, presenting themselves as hurricane‑recovery crew, asked for a quick charge. She agreed, but as she stepped away, they drove off, leaving her behind.
Deputies spotted the getaway vehicle near the West Roberts Road exit on Highway 29 at 9:57 a.m. The chase lasted less than ten minutes before the car slammed into a traffic light and collided with a pickup at the intersection of Highway 29 and Ten Mile Road. The crash knocked drivers from three vehicles to the side of the road, but no one sustained serious injuries.
Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons announced that the suspects, 30‑year‑old Dustin Lee Kelley and 29‑year‑old Amanda Carr, were arrested on the scene and booked into the county jail. Kelley faces grand theft, fleeing and eluding police, and possession of marijuana charges; Carr is charged with grand theft only. Both defendants will be held without bond pending further court appearances.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the collision and the circumstances of the theft, while the county emergency medical services confirmed that all occupants were treated on‑scene and released. Authorities say the stolen vehicle was a 2015 Ford Escape, and the damage to the other vehicles remains under assessment.
The woman, who has requested anonymity, said she felt uneasy when the strangers left her car alone for just a few minutes. She now worries about the safety of her vehicle in a community that has already seen a rise in car thefts during the hurricane season.