A suspect was arrested in Leesburg in a vehicle he obtained through Facebook, which was later reported stolen in Indiana after he stopped making payments.
Around 9:15 a.m. Friday, an officer discovered a stolen white Dodge Ram 3500 driven by 30-year-old William Ruben Mesa Martinez of Ocala near West Dixie Avenue and South 14th Street, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The vehicle had been reported stolen from New Haven, Indiana, on October 24.
At about 9:25 a.m., the officer noticed the vehicle driving east on East Dixie Avenue. He followed the car while other units arrived, and it was eventually stopped near County Road 44 and Shawn Drive. Mesa Martinez was then apprehended, according to the report.
He stated that he leased the vehicle from someone in Indiana and that the lease agreement was in the glove box. The police located it and notified the New Haven Police Department. A detective revealed that Mesa Martinez attempted to purchase the automobile on Facebook and agreed to pay $700 per week for it. According to the investigation, he made three payments before ceasing to react to the vendor, who reported the item stolen.
Mesa Martinez later indicated that he leased the vehicle for six months but had just fallen behind on payments, according to the report.
The officers then inventoried the vehicle, discovering a clear glass tubing with a bulb at the end in the sunglasses holder on the ceiling. The report stated that the burnt residue within the pipe tested positive for methamphetamine.
Mesa Martinez was arrested on allegations of vehicle theft (pickups, semis, and dump trucks) and possession of drug paraphernalia. The Cuban native was transferred to Lake County Jail and freed after posting a $3,500 bond.
Leave a Comment