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Woman arrested after claiming she purchased stolen vehicle off Facebook; husband also locked up

Posted at 6:07 PM, Apr 13, 2023
and last updated 2023-04-14 10:11:33-04

MONROE, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 38-year-old woman and her husband were arrested after deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office stopped them in a vehicle that had been reported stolen.

Deputies pulled the vehicle over Thursday night and ordered the woman who was driving to exit the vehicle. Deputies ordered the man to remain in the passenger seat, but he refused, exited the vehicle and walked around to the driver's side before deputies were able to stop him.

A scuffle ensued that left two deputies with minor injuries.

Deputies said the woman's husband was "aggressive and uncooperative" and in the video, he appeared to be agitated, claiming he was only trying to give his wife her keys.

After securing her husband in the back of one of their vehicles, deputies informed the woman that they stopped her because the vehicle was stolen.

The wife claimed she recently paid someone she met on Facebook $2,500 for the blue 2007 Pontiac SUV. But investigators said the VIN and other details didn't match up with what she had on her paperwork.

The SUV had been stolen out of Detroit, where police have been working hard to crack down on stolen vehicles by busting chop shops and dismantling theft rings.

The woman was arrested and lodged at the Monroe County Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle and several traffic violations.

Her husband was locked up on two counts of assault on a police officer and an outstanding arrest warrant.

The woman's 18-year-old son, who had been in the back seat, was briefly detained and released on scene after deputies said they determined he was not involved in the theft of the vehicle.

Charges are pending against the couple.