Missoula Woman Accused of Car Theft, Caught Hiding in Trailer
Missoula police were involved in multiple car theft cases over the weekend. On Saturday night, May 19, the same car was taken twice. A woman called 911 reporting a suspicious vehicle running outside her home near the intersection of Dearborn and Eaton, Police found the vehicle’s owner who identified the car, but the keys were missing. While they were waiting for a tow-truck to arrive, the car disappeared again.
“The vehicle was then located a short time later by a tow-truck driver who knew that it had been reported stolen,” said Missoula Police Public Information Officer Travis Welsh. “911 was called again and officers responded. However, before they arrived, the female had gotten back in the vehicle driven a short distance away, jumped out and ran from it.”
The tow truck driver reported what he saw to police who were on the scene shortly after 8:00 p.m.
“The tow-truck driver was interviewed and gave a description of the female who had been in the car and the direction of travel she had gone," Welsh said. "Officers began to canvas the area on foot, and located the female suspect hiding in a nearby trailer, she was identified as 30-year-old Brittney Smith and taken into custody without further incident.”
Smith is listed by the Missoula jail with a felony charge of Criminal sale of dangerous drugs and a theft charge, however Welsh, says the felony charge should be for the theft. Welsh says other potential charges are under investigation.