A North Carolina woman was arrested this week after claiming to be kidnapped in order to steal a truck.
The Randolph County Sheriff's Office said Virginia Saavedra approached a house on Beckerdite Rd. in Sophia on Wednesday and falsely told the resident that she had just escaped a man who was trying to kidnap her. The resident then let her sit in his 2002 Ford F-350 pickup to warm up while he went inside to call 911.
"It was determined that Saavedra used the kidnapping story as a ploy to prey on the unsuspecting citizen to steal the vehicle," the report said.
While he was on the phone, he saw her drive away in the vehicle and reported the theft to police. A patrol car that was already responding to the kidnapping report spotted Saavedra on the highway and began a pursuit that ended up lasting 26 miles before Saavedra pulled into a rest stop on I-85 and got the truck stuck on a grassy area as several police cars boxed her in.
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Saavedra then tried to flee on foot, but was quickly apprehended and charged with several crimes, including larceny, assault and resisting arrest. She was put under electronically monitored house arrest with bail set at $150,000 ahead of a scheduled court appearance on Friday.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report