Gainesville Police arrested a Palm Bay man early Monday morning after police said he stole a car with a woman still inside.
At about 10:50 p.m. Friday, Collis Warren Jr., 48, sat inside a woman’s car after she walked into Gator Beverages, according to a police report.
Another woman, who asked to remain anonymous, sat in the passenger’s seat, distracted by her phone.
“I just heard that somebody got inside the car and turned the car on, and I thought it was my friend,” she said.
By the time she noticed it was Warren, he was already driving away.
Warren soon lost control and crashed into another car. He then grabbed the passenger’s purse and left, according to the report.
The woman later noticed a $62.48 charge for a carton of cigarettes on her account, according to the report.
Less than three hours later, Warren’s card was declined at a Kangaroo on North Main Street when he tried to buy more cigarettes, according to the report.
Warren grabbed the cigarettes and ran, leaving behind a failed-transaction receipt with his name on it.
The woman’s passport was also in her purse, which she said was never found. She was supposed to visit her home country of Bolivia in nine days.
Police arrested Warren on charges for robbery, grand theft auto and hit and run. Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where, as of press time, he remains in lieu of a $70,000 bond.
Contact Giuseppe Sabella at gsabella@alligator.org and follow him on Twitter @Gsabella
