By Ashley Remkus
Alabama Media Group, Birmingham
LIMESTONE COUNTY, Ala. — A woman was arrested in the parking lot of the Limestone County Jail when a jailer caught her breaking into an employee’s vehicle, authorities said.
Natasha Dawn Mencia, a 29-year-old from Athens, is charged with breaking and entering a vehicle, a Class C felony that’s punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Limestone County Corrections Officer John Moore was sitting in his vehicle eating a biscuit in the parking lot when Mencia tried to get in the passenger side, authorities said.
“He asked her what she was doing, and she walked away,” Sheriff’s spokesman Stephen Young said in a news release.
Authorities said Moore got out of his vehicle, followed Mencia and saw her approach other vehicles. Eventually, she got into another corrections officer’s unlocked truck, Young said. No items were believed to be missing from the officer’s personal vehicle.
Moore took Mencia to Sgt. Martin Evans, who questioned her.
“Mencia stood silent for a short period of time (5-10 seconds) and finally stated ‘Just take me to jail,’” according to an arrest report. “Sgt. Evans obliged Mencia’s request...and walked her the approximately 200 feet to the booking room.”
Mencia has been released on $2,500 bail.
©2017 Alabama Media Group, Birmingham