49.9 F
Ocala
Friday, March 29, 2024

Ocala car wash employee arrested after allegedly stealing over $1,000 from customer’s vehicle

A 41-year-old employee at a local car wash was arrested by the Ocala Police Department after he was accused of stealing over $1,000 from a customer’s vehicle.

On Wednesday, January 18, several OPD officers responded to the Soapy’s Car Wash located at 1621 SW 19th Avenue in reference to a theft incident. Upon arrival, the officers made contact with the female victim who advised that $1,300 in cash was missing from an envelope that had been left inside her vehicle while it was being detailed.

The OPD report stated that the victim had withdrawn over $4,300 from her bank approximately 15 minutes prior to taking her vehicle to the car wash. The victim told the officers that she had left the envelope containing the cash inside the driver’s door pocket, and she covered it with napkins to conceal it.

An OPD sergeant reviewed video surveillance footage and noted in the report that one of the car wash’s employees, identified as Donterius Zvoski Smith, was observed holding the envelope while he was cleaning the victim’s vehicle.

Donterius Zvoski Smith
Donterius Zvoski Smith

The OPD report stated that Smith attempted to conceal the envelope from the camera. An officer also viewed the complete video footage and observed that “no other employee was seen with an ability or opportunity to steal the money.”

Officers made contact with Smith and detained him in handcuffs. After being read his Miranda rights, Smith claimed that he did not take the envelope containing cash from the victim’s vehicle, according to the OPD report.

Smith was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail. At the time of his arrest, the victim’s money was not in his possession, and he repeatedly denied any knowledge of what had happened to the money.

Smith is currently being held at the jail on $2,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for grand theft.

A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.