A 33-year-old Fort McCoy woman was arrested last week for allegedly placing a tracking device inside a woman’s parked car shortly after the victim arrived at a hospital in Ocala.
On Friday, September 22, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the 13400 block of NE 217th Court in Fort McCoy in reference to a suspicious AirTag tracking notification on the victim’s cellphone, according to the arrest report.
Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with the victim who advised that she had arrived at AdventHealth Ocala (1500 SW 1st Avenue in Ocala) at around 7 a.m. A few hours later, at around 10:30 a.m., she exited the hospital, returned to her car, and drove home, according to the report.
The victim stated that when she arrived at her home, she received a notification on her cellphone that she was “being followed” by an AirTag. She told the deputy that she selected the message on her phone, which revealed a mapping system that showed her path from the hospital to her residence. The report stated that the victim could also hear the AirTag pinging inside her car.
The deputy conducted a search inside the victim’s car. According to the report, the rear cushion was lifted during the search, and a small Apple AirTag proceeded to fall onto the floorboard.
The report stated that when the deputy asked if the victim saw anyone suspicious around her vehicle, she advised that three men had been observed standing behind her car in the hospital’s parking lot.
The deputy noted in the report that the sheriff’s office received a call later that same day from a woman identified as Heather Christene Snyder.
The deputy spoke with Snyder over the phone, and she advised that she had placed the tracking device inside the victim’s car while the victim was at AdventHealth. She claimed that she did this because she was “concerned for the victim’s well-being,” according to the report.
After obtaining this information, the deputy spoke with the victim who advised that she had also spoken with Snyder. The victim stated that Snyder had confessed to placing the tracking device in her car. In the report, the deputy noted that the victim did not give Snyder permission to be inside her vehicle or to place a tracker in it, and the victim wanted to pursue criminal charges.
An MCSO deputy located Snyder at her residence. After being read her Miranda rights, Snyder refused to discuss the incident.
Snyder was arrested, transported to Marion County Jail, and she was released the following day on $3,000 bond. She is facing a felony charge for unarmed burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and a misdemeanor charge for installing a tracking device.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.