A Port Richey man and a Laurel Hill woman were arrested early Tuesday after being caught pulling a stolen camper through Summerfield.
Roy Glenn Wagoner, 37, and Tonia Faye McDowell, 43, were each charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle and second-degree petit theft (first offense). The couple first claimed they bought the camper, valued at $14,000, from a man for $7,000 before Wagoner eventually confessed to stealing it.
A Marion County sheriff’s detective was traveling westbound on Southeast Highway 42, crossing over South U.S. Hwy. 441, when he observed a white pickup truck pulling a camper. The detective ran a computer check that showed the camper’s license tag was stolen out of Marion County. The detective followed the truck and camper until a deputy arrived and conducted the traffic stop, according to the sheriff’s office.
McDowell, who was driving, told the deputy she had just purchased the camper four days ago and the previous owner said she could keep the tag and return it when she no longer needed it. A vehicle identification number (VIN) check revealed the camper was stolen from a dealership in Citrus County sometime between Jan. 14 and Jan. 20, the report said.
A search of the trailer turned up all of Wagoner’s and McDowell’s personal belongings. The door locks at both ends of the camper appeared to be tampered with and were damaged. Wagoner and McDowell were taken to the South Marion District Office, where they were interviewed by a detective, according to the report.
McDowell said she was shopping for a camper online when she came across this one. She said she met with the seller, who said his name was William Mattis, and purchased the camper for $7,000. When asked if she obtained a bill of sale or a title, she said her fiancé (Wagoner) had dealt with the paperwork, the report said.
Wagoner said he was at a friend named Ricky’s house when he was approached by a man named William Mattis, who said he had a trailer for sale. Wagoner said he and McDowell looked at some photos and agreed to buy it for $7,000. Wagoner said Mattis returned with the camper three or four hours later and he and McDowell have had it ever since, according to the report.
After being told he and McDowell were both going to be arrested, Wagoner admitted he was the one who stole the camper from the dealership in Citrus County. Wagoner and McDowell were arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where both were booked on $2,500 bond.
