Carjacking, Hit-And-Run Spree Ends In Arrest

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A 31-year-old woman faces criminal charges after she allegedly went on what St. Petersburg Police described as a “one-woman crime spree” Monday morning.

According to the agency, the spree got its start around 9:44 a.m. June 5 when a woman got into the driver’s seat of a car she had rented. As she entered the car in the 3200 block of 36th Avenue North, police say Michelle Renee LaMotte “walked up to the Chevrolet and began hitting and kicking the woman seated” inside.

LaMotte, an email from police said, was attempting to carjack the woman. After getting the keys away from the driver, LaMotte is accused of taking off in the woman’s vehicle.

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Moments later, an officer watched as LaMotte allegedly drove the Chevy “erratically” in the area of 36th Avenue and 33rd Street. That officer was not aware of the carjacking, but witnessed LaMotte strike another vehicle at the intersection before driving off.

The hit-and-run, however, caused damage to one of the Chevy’s tires, thwarting a speedy getaway, police said. LaMotte found her speed limited to less than 10 mph. Consequently, the officer who saw the hit-and-run was able to slide in behind the Chevy in an attempt to pull over the “slow-moving car,” the email noted.

LaMotte, police said, refused to stop for the officer. She kept on moving forward until she allegedly hit another car "at low speed” at the intersection of 30th Avenue North and 37th Street. She then “jumped out of the carjacked Chevy and got into the vehicle she just hit, attempting to take this car from the driver.”

The officer who tried to pull over LaMotte foiled her second getaway attempt, the email noted. LaMotte was taken to a local hospital for medical clearance following the two crashes.

LaMotte's alleged crime spree didn't end with that trip to the hospital, the police department noted.

“While at the hospital and being read her Miranda rights, LaMotte slapped the hand of the officer, grabbed the Miranda card from the officer and threw it,” the email said.

LaMotte now faces multiple charges. A full listing of those charges is not yet available.

LaMotte had not been fully booked into the Pinellas County Jail as of early Monday afternoon. Jail records indicate she has a long criminal history, including grand theft charges. Her last known address was in St. Petersburg.

Further information is not yet available. It is unclear whether the two hit-and-run crashes caused any injuries.

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Booking photo of a prior arrest courtesy of the St. Petersburg Police Department