In a bizarre incident that unfolded early Friday morning, a Florida woman called 911 while in the process of stealing a Toyota Corolla from a Tampa dealership, claiming she was attempting to make the theft “legal.” Despite her efforts, 37-year-old Christy Lee Turman was arrested and charged with trespassing.
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office released body camera footage from the responding officer, along with audio from Turman’s 911 call. In the recording, she can be heard shouting, “Because I’m trying to steal a car that’s not legally mine! So ya’ll gotta make a report! I’m reporting this!” Officers arrived at the dealership to find Turman exiting the driver’s side of the Corolla.
According to public information officer Julie Martin, Turman told police she was participating in a game of Black Ops and was being trained to steal a vehicle. The body camera video shows Turman complying with officers while holding her phone.
Police records show that Turman, listed as “transient,” has a history of criminal charges, including petty theft, robbery, aggravated battery, and a 2015 arrest for disorderly conduct. She remains in custody with a bail set at $5,000.
Despite this unusual incident, Florida has seen a remarkable decrease in both property and violent crime over the past three decades. FBI crime data reveals that the state has experienced the largest drop in property crime (78.7%) and violent crime (78.1%) among all 50 states between 1991 and 2022.
