An Ocala teen will appear in court for allegedly encouraging her juvenile friend to sneak out, get high and steal alcohol.
An officer on patrol observed 19-year-old Melanie Zaremba and her minor friend entering RaceTrac, located at 324 N U.S. Hwy. 27, at 2:40 a.m. Friday, June 5, according to a case report from the Lady Lake Police Department.
The officer had already spoken to the pair earlier in his shift when he received a call about them being under the influence of THC and acting erratically. Zaremba had been warned that her being an adult and contributing to her friend’s poor behavior could result in arrest, the report said.
As the two girls entered the store, they approached the alcohol section but walked past it when they saw law enforcement. They instead selected numerous snacks and cashed out. The manager subsequently approached the officer to say Zaremba and her friend had come to store many times before, and they acted together to steal alcohol due to being underage. She did not wish to prosecute but wanted them trespassed, the report said
The officer then spoke to the girls. Their attitude was poor, and they were both carefree, believing the interaction was funny. The friend stated she needed some snacks, so they snuck out of her residence while her mom was sleeping and took the car keys. She added that Zaremba did not influence her but laughed afterward, the report said.
Zaremba and her friend were under the influence of some narcotic during this encounter. The former laughed and made a joke out of the incident, the report said.
Contact was made with the friend’s mother, who stated that she will be placed in some sort of alternative or military-style camp due to her poor behavior and actions. She no longer wanted Zaremba at her residence, so Zaremba’s mother was contacted to pick her up, the report said.
Zaremba was issued a notice to appear for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She is due in court on June 30.