A 48-year-old woman was arrested in Ocala after a resident allegedly caught her pulling on car door handles and burglarizing multiple vehicles.
On Saturday, June 27, Ocala Police Department officers responded to the area of NE Sanchez Avenue in reference to vehicle burglary incidents in the area, according to the arrest report.
That night, at around 11 p.m., a female witness was reportedly sitting outside her home when she heard what sounded like someone pulling on car door handles. Moments later, the witness allegedly observed the suspect, identified as Lisa Gonzales Boatwright, approaching her car.
Despite the witness telling her not to pull the vehicle’s handle, Boatwright allegedly looked directly at the witness and pulled it anyway. After failing to gain access to the locked vehicle, Boatwright walked northbound on NE Sanchez Avenue, and the resident began following her, according to the report.
The witness then reportedly observed Boatwright open the passenger door of a Jeep, which prompted the witness to contact law enforcement.
Upon arrival, Ocala police officers located Boatwright sitting inside a parked SUV in the driveway of a nearby residence. Investigators detained Boatwright after confirming that she did not own the vehicle and did not have permission to be inside it.
The report stated that Boatwright had a backpack in her possession, which was searched by officers. Inside, they allegedly found several items that did not belong to Boatwright, including an OBD2 sensor, a voter identification card, medical marijuana, and a handbag.
Officers contacted the owner of the Jeep, who confirmed that the recovered sensor had been taken from the passenger seat. Additionally, the owner of the SUV confirmed the handbag, voter ID, and an empty medical marijuana bag had been taken from the vehicle, according to the report.
Boatwright was taken into custody and transported to the Ocala Police Department for an interview. However, she reportedly refused to speak with investigators, and she was placed under arrest and booked into Marion County Jail, where she remains in custody without bond.
Jail records show that Boatwright is being charged with burglary of an unoccupied conveyance (two counts), attempted burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, and second-degree petit theft (first offense).
According to Marion County court records, Boatwright has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and she is being represented by a public defender. Her next court appearance is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28.