How a Generous Ride Led to a Car Theft Incident in Missoula

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On September 7, 2025, at approximately 10:25 a.m., John Doe called 911 and reported that his vehicle had been recently stolen. Doe said that his 2003 Ford Expedition was last seen 10 minutes ago. He said the suspect was named “Veronica” and that she was in the vehicle.  

A Missoula Police Department Officer was dispatched to Doe’s location at Bob Wards. Doe informed the officer that he used to be homeless and lived at the Poverello Center, which is where he met the suspect “Veronica.” Doe explained that he now has housing but returned to the Poverello Center earlier that morning to return a friend’s fishing pole.

While he was at the Poverello Center, “Veronica” asked for a ride to Walmart, which Doe agreed to do. Doe said “Veronica” had been drinking and asked if she could drive, to which Doe said no. Doe confirmed that he did not consent to “Veronica” having control of his vehicle at any point. 

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Pedestrians Flag Down Officer 

At approximately 10:29 a.m., an officer was traveling northbound near the 800 block of South Orange Street. He was flagged down by some pedestrians. The pedestrians informed him that a vehicle pulled into the parking lot near the southeast corner of the intersection, conducted a fast U-turn, and crashed into the building/handrail before fleeing the scene.  

The officer observed that there were vehicle parts scattered all over the roadway. While the officer was conducting his investigation at the scene, two additional reports came in indicating that a vehicle was involved in two separate hit-and-run incidents.  

The first occurred near Mitchell and Defoe streets, where it was reported that the vehicle crashed into a street sign and almost hit the complainant’s vehicle before fleeing the scene. The second occurred near 1033 Stoddard, where it was reported that the vehicle crashed into a parked car and again fled from the scene. 

A Corporal Locates the Suspect Vehicle 

At approximately 10:45 a.m., a Corporal with the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office was patrolling near the area of Raser Drive when he observed the suspect vehicle. The officer initiated a traffic stop and told the driver, later identified as 38-year-old Veronica Illig-Barrett, to exit the vehicle. She was unable to do so and crawled out the window.  

Veronica attempted to stand up but was struggling to maintain her balance. She was taken into custody and placed in the backseat of an MCSO patrol vehicle. An officer immediately observed the odor of alcohol emanating from Veronica’s person, and that her speech was slurred and incoherent. According to court documents, Veronica stated that she had consumed a couple of alcoholic drinks. 

READ MORE: Missoula News – Crime Reports 

Veronica was transported to the Missoula County Detention Center, where she participated in the Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. The Defendant exhibited 6 out of 6 possible clues on the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test.  

During the Walk and Turn, the officer observed that Veronica could not keep balance, raised her arms, did not take the correct number of steps, and did not complete the turn as demonstrated when attempting to get herself back in the right position.  

During the One Leg Stand, Veronica swayed, raised her arms, and put her foot down. Veronica stated she was done with the test at 21 seconds. Veronica ultimately provided a breath test using the Intoxilyzer 9000, which indicated a BAC of 0.185. 

Veronica is currently being charged with felony theft of property of a light vehicle, felony criminal endangerment, and aggravated DUI first offense. Her bond was set at $10,000.

The information in this article was obtained from sources that are publicly viewable.