FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A man who was found sitting in a stolen car that had multiple stolen cards inside claimed that he bought the vehicle from a stranger, which he does frequently, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies said they spotted the stolen car Tuesday morning backed into a parking space in Palm Coast with Timothy Warren Smith, 60, behind the wheel.
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Smith told deputies that he got the vehicle from an unknown man on a street corner in Daytona Beach and said that he's bought multiple vehicles that way, according to the report.
Deputies said they found a stolen wallet containing a stolen ID in Smith's pocket and a fanny pack around his waist that contained a driver's license, three debit cards and two credit cards stolen from a different man.
A new LG cellphone that was purchased using one of the stolen credit cards was also found, according to authorities.
Deputies said the stolen items were taken from vehicles overnight.
“We may never know why he chose Flagler County to commit his crimes but I am glad that our deputies were able to locate him and get him off our streets before he could prey on even more victims,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said. “We continually push the #9PMroutine on our social media sites, which is a reminder for residents to lock their doors to their vehicles and homes at night to help prevent themselves from becoming a victim. While we hope that people would not try to take things that don’t belong to them, you can help prevent crime and protect yourself by keeping your valuables secure and keeping your doors locked.”
Smith was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of a stolen credit card, two counts of unauthorized possession of a driver's license, grand theft of a motor vehicle, fraudulent use of a credit card and driving with a suspended license.
After Smith was taken to the Flagler County Jail, deputies said they were able to connect him to two attempted vehicle burglaries in Palm Coast. He's also facing charges in those cases.