A 31-year-old Ocala woman and 32-year-old Reddick man were arrested after a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy spotted them in a vehicle that had been reported stolen.

On Wednesday, an MCSO deputy responded to the 12700 block of NW 32nd Court in Reddick in reference to a traffic stop that was conducted on a stolen vehicle.

Upon arrival, the deputy was informed that the vehicle, a gray Jeep Cherokee, had been reported stolen out of the Ocala Police Department. The vehicle’s two occupants were identified as Shantelle Renee Carr (driver) and Mark Hawkins, Jr. (passenger).

Shantelle Renee Carr and Mark Hawkins, Jr.
Shantelle Renee Carr (left) and Mark Hawkins, Jr. (right)

Another MCSO deputy who was on scene detained Carr and Hawkins while the arriving deputy searched the stolen vehicle’s interior. According to the MCSO report, a white wallet was found on top of the dashboard on the driver’s side, and it contained a white substance inside a plastic clear bag.

This substance field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

In the back seat of the vehicle, the deputy found a white purse which contained an eyeglasses case. Inside the case was a glass pipe and Brillo pads. A field-test of the pipe confirmed the presence of methamphetamine.

Carr confirmed that the purse and wallet belonged to her.

The MCSO report indicated that when Hawkins had stepped out of the vehicle, a clear bag filled with a white substance had landed on the ground near the passenger’s side. The substance field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

Hawkins denied that the bag was his, and he claimed that Carr had thrown the bag at him. When the deputy questioned Carr about this, she stated that she did not throw anything.

Carr was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where she is currently being held on $5,000 bond. She is facing felony charges for grand theft of a motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance along with a misdemeanor charge for possession of drug paraphernalia.

Hawkins was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $2,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for possession of a controlled substance.

A court date has not been scheduled yet for Carr or Hawkins, according to jail records.