Woman Accused Of Stealing Car From Mt. Pleasant Driveway

MOUNT PLEASANT, WI — A Minnesota woman is now facing a charge of driving a vehicle without the owner's consent after police accused her of stealing a van from a driveway in Mount Pleasant, according to a criminal complaint.

Ashley Crayton, 33, was charged in Racine County Court in connection with an auto theft that was reported in September 2021, according to a criminal complaint. A resident on Daisy Lane told police their 2009 Chrysler Town And Country, which had the keys inside, was stolen, the criminal complaint said.

If convicted, Crayton could face up to 3½ years in prison.

Police in Kenosha found the van in October in the 6600 block of 18th Avenue, the complaint said. Inside the car, an officer said they found a health card that belonged to Crayton, several gift cards and a "Big Buddy" cup from a gas station.

A detective looked over the transaction history for the gift cards, and found one time they were used at a store on 52nd Street in Kenosha, the complaint said. The detective looked through footage from the store from that day and saw a woman using the card at the pharmacy, according to the complaint. The woman later got into the stolen vehicle and left, police said.

A detective submitted the straw from the "Big Buddy" cup for DNA testing, and a mixture that was recovered was linked to Crayton and another person, according to the complaint.

When police compared a booking photo of Crayton with the store surveillance footage, the two people had similar characteristics, the complaint said. Another person told police he recognized Crayton from the surveillance, according to the complaint.