A 25-year-old Ocala man was arrested after a Marion County Sheriff’s Office sergeant spotted him driving a rental car that had been reported stolen.
On Thursday at around 1:30 p.m., the MCSO sergeant was informed that a stolen Hyundai Elantra had been located near the intersection of NW 35th Street and N U.S. Highway 441 in Ocala.
According to the MCSO report, the vehicle was reported stolen by the Gainesville Police Department.
Multiple MCSO units responded and began searching the area. The sergeant was on NW Blitchton Road and located the stolen vehicle.
The sergeant conducted a traffic stop in the parking lot of Big Rascal BBQ and Grille located at 3437 NE Blitchton Road.
The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, Dajour Jaquille Edwards, was detained.
During an interview, Edwards told the sergeant that he had rented the vehicle since his personal car was being repaired. He claimed that he was having issues paying Enterprise Rent-A-Car for the rental.
An MCSO deputy searched the vehicle and found a clear plastic baggie in the center console containing a green leafy substance that field-tested positive for marijuana. Edwards admitted to smoking marijuana regularly, but he denied that the marijuana found in the vehicle belonged to him.
Edwards was arrested, transported to Marion County Jail, and he was later released on $2,500 bond. He is facing a felony charge for grand theft of a motor vehicle and a misdemeanor charge for possession of marijuana under 20 grams.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.