Two arrested for stolen truck

A man and woman from Tennessee were arrested Sunday afternoon after they were caught southbound in the Lower Keys in a truck stolen from Sebring, Florida.

Deputy Seth Hopp spotted the stolen black Nissan Titan truck southbound at the 30 mile marker of the highway at 1:15 p.m. The truck was reported stolen in the early morning hours that same day. Deputy Hopp pulled the truck over at the 14 mile marker with two other deputies as backup on the traffic stop. Inside the truck were a male driver identified as 44 year old Neal Gowen and a female passenger who gave the name Crystal Brooks, which later turned out to be false.

Both claimed they had permission to take the truck from Sebring. Deputy Hopp checked with law enforcement in that location and a Deputy with the Highland County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the truck had been reported stolen and the owner did not give anyone permission to take the truck. The deputy from Highland County said the truck owner gave him the name of Crystal Reese as the person who took the truck. The victim said Reese and Gowen had been staying at his house and when he woke up, they and the truck were gone.

Deputy Hopp confronted the female passenger about her real name. When he checked her real name through Sheriff’s Office computers, he discovered an outstanding warrant for 33 year old Crystal Reese from Coffee County, Tennessee. The Tennessee warrant was for failure to appear in court on drug related charges.

A check of the contents of the truck revealed cocaine hidden in an unmarked prescription pill bottle, a glass pipe for smoking illegal substances and a grinder also used to prepare illegal substances for ingestion. Most of these illegal items were found on the passenger side of the vehicle, where Reese had been sitting.

Reese was charged with theft of a motor vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, giving officers a false name and with the outstanding warrant. Gowen was charged with theft of motor vehicle. Drug charges are pending further testing.

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