Escambia County Sheriff Says Car Theft and Looting Attempt Followed Hurricane Isaias

Escambia County, Florida, authorities arrested at least three people accused of exploiting the disruption left by Hurricane Isaias to steal a vehicle and attempt to loot a store during a power outage.

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said in a video posted to Facebook that Dustin Kelley, 30, and Amanda Carr, 29, approached a woman and claimed they were in the area doing storm-recovery work. Kelley and Carr told the woman their phone had died and asked to charge it in her car. Simmons said Carr was “crying” over not having a charger, and the woman let the pair inside her vehicle.

After the woman got out of the car, Kelley and Carr allegedly drove off with it. A deputy nearby spotted the stolen vehicle and pursued it until it crashed. No one was seriously injured.

“So these two angels pretended like they needed a phone charged and ended up stealing a car. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t realize that the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office has been out in full force looking for people just like them, and they’re going to jail now,” Simmons said.

Kelley was charged with larceny, fleeing or eluding police, and possession of marijuana. Carr was charged with larceny.

Simmons also said another man allegedly tried to break into a 24-hour store by smashing a window while the power was out during the storm’s aftermath. A sheriff’s office public information officer identified the suspect to Fox News Digital as Van Gary Spikes Jr.

A deputy witnessed the attempted break-in and intervened. “The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office was out in full force, and we were able to pull up, saw him, and he took off running, but didn’t get far,” Simmons said.

Spikes Jr. was charged with possession of burglary tools, wearing a mask during the commission of a second-degree felony, attempted burglary of an unoccupied structure during a state of emergency, loitering and prowling, criminal mischief involving damage of $200 or more, and obstruction without violence.

Fox News Digital reached out to Spikes Jr., Kelley and Carr for comment.