Man, woman arrested for burglarizing, stealing multiple vehicles, deputies say
Courtesy: Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County deputies arrested Ashley McCabe, 35, and Brian Martin, 35, after they say the pair stole at least five cars and burglarized several others in the Westchase, Odessa, and Tampa areas between March 29 and April 12. They were taken into custody after trying to flee from deputies in one of the stolen cars.
Deputies say they spotted the pair sitting in an Audi A-5, parked at the Wawa, located at the intersection of West Hillsborough Avenue and Hanley Road, in Town 'N' Country on Tuesday.
When deputies tried to make contact, Martin rammed the Audi between the HCSO patrol units and fled northbound. According to HCSO, Martin exited the stolen vehicle at Fountain Avenue and Gateway Drive and continued to flee on foot. McCabe, who was in the passenger seat, was taken into custody. Deputies eventually caught Martin and arrested him.
Deputies say they recovered three of the five stolen vehicles. Those that remain missing are a 2009 black Ford F-150 pick-up truck and a 2018 grey Honda Accord. The owner of the Honda Accord told deputies he left the keys to the car and his wallet inside the vehicle.
Surveillance video also shows McCabe and Martin checking for unlocked cars in the neighborhood where they stole the 2009 Ford F-150 pick-up truck.
"While the criminal actions of this pair are undoubtedly infuriating, we also urge car owners to protect themselves from becoming a victim by simply locking their cars," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "These suspects were searching for easy targets and, sadly, there were plenty. We hope it serves as a warning to others to take, at most a couple of minutes, to remove valuables from their vehicles, and lock the doors before stepping away."
Anyone with information on this case, or the missing stolen vehicles, is asked to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at (813) 247-8200.
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