A woman was arrested for theft after allegedly selling a $1,800 washer and dryer set from the home where she was squatting.
A deputy responded to a home on Southeast 103rd Avenue in Summerfield regarding a washer and dryer stolen by 40-year-old Candice Meshelle Mackey at 7:30 p.m. Friday, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The owner explained that she had gone to the residence a couple of months ago and realized Mackey had been squatting there. Her nephew, who was paying rent at the home, invited Mackey to stay with him without permission. Despite being ordered from the house in December, she still had not left and was served a notice to vacate by March 31, the report said.
However, the owner got a call from a neighbor advising that Mackey had sold the $1,800 Frigidaire washer and dryer that belonged in the residence to another neighbor. The buyer later told law enforcement that his washer and dryer stopped working, so when he noticed Mackey moving out, he bought what he thought was hers for $150. Once he found out the set did not belong to her, he tried to return it and get his money back without success, the report said.
Mackey claimed she bought the washer and dryer when she was released from Marion County Jail in December. She initially stated she purchased the set at the beginning of this year, then in November or October of 2025, before concluding it was in Sept. 2025. She finished by saying she bought it from someone named “Amber,” who stole the set from the home and resold it out of a shed down the street, the report said.
She stated she could get “Amber” to the scene to testify, but this person could not be found. She also did not have any proof of ownership of the washer and dryer, or that she bought the set, the report said.
Mackey was arrested on charges of grand theft (property value $750 to $5k) and dealing in stolen property. She was booked at Marion County Jail and released after posting $5,000 bond.