In a case where concern and crime collided, Marion County deputies were dispatched to 2601 SE 170th Lane in Summerfield on November 2nd, answering what appeared to be a well-being check gone sideways. A Good Samaritan—who apparently doubles as a dedicated neighborhood lookout—called the sheriff’s office after noticing a suspiciously stationary red Honda sedan and its driver, who hadn’t moved “all day.” Fearing the worst, they dialed in the authorities, suspecting the driver might be, as they phrased it, “deceased.”
K-9 Deputy R. West arrived on the scene, only to find the driver in question, Julia Bejarano, very much alive. Bejarano explained that her car had simply broken down. However, in what can only be described as a moment of professional instinct, Deputy West decided to run the license plate of the red Honda. When the report came back, the story took a sharp U-turn: the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Sumter County just one day prior.
The lead investigator on the Sumter County case, Deputy D. Turner, confirmed that Bejarano was their primary suspect in the alleged car caper, and the vehicle’s owner, one Randall Frederick Boettner, quickly appeared at the scene, eager to press charges.
With all signs pointing toward foul play rather than vehicular misfortune, Bejarano was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail. As for the Good Samaritan who sounded the alarm, they can now take pride in helping deputies catch a suspect red-handed in a red Honda.
