A 43-year-old woman was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after she was allegedly caught driving a U-Haul truck that had been reported stolen in a neighboring county.
On Friday, November 17, Ocala police notified the Marion County Communications Center that a stolen U-Haul truck had been spotted in the area of SW 60th Avenue and SW Highway 200 in Ocala, according to the arrest report.
While on patrol, an MCSO deputy spotted a U-Haul truck traveling westbound near the 7900 block of SW Highway 200, and a search of the vehicle’s license plate number confirmed that it had been stolen out of Citrus County. The deputy noted in the report that a traffic stop of the U-Haul truck was conducted in the 9500 block of SW Highway 200.
During the traffic stop, the deputy made contact with the U-Haul truck’s two occupants: Robin Annette Bunnell-Jurasik (driver) and an adult male passenger, according to the report.
The report stated that the U-Haul truck’s rental agreement was found inside the vehicle, which confirmed that it had been rented to Bunnell-Jurasik on October 5, 2023. According to the agreement, the vehicle was supposed to be returned on October 9, 2023, and it was ultimately reported as stolen on November 16, 2023.
After being read her Miranda rights, Bunnell-Jurasik stated that she had rented the U-Haul truck the previous month to “move items out of her residence.” She claimed that she “had issues getting a hold of U-Haul,” which allegedly prevented her from returning the vehicle, according to the report.
During the post-Miranda interview, Bunnell-Jurasik acknowledged that the U-Haul truck was “past due,” though she told the deputy that she was unaware of the exact date that the vehicle was supposed to be returned.
Bunnell-Jurasik was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where she is currently being held on $2,000 bond. She is being charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle, which is a felony.
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, December 19, according to jail records.