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Kristin Mittelstadt (Polk County Sheriff’s Office).
A Florida woman was recently arrested after committing two of the exact same crimes she was previously accused of and out on bond for, law enforcement in the Sunshine State say.
Kristin Ann Mittelstadt, 35, stands accused of six charges including fleeing to elude, knowingly driving with a suspended or revoked license, driving with a suspended or revoked license as an habitual offender, fleeing with reckless disregard for the safety of persons or property, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Polk County Jail records.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office took stock of the repeat nature of the defendant’s charges with a tongue-in-cheek press release.
“Mittlestadt told deputies that she fled because she knew that if she got caught, she would likely be going to jail for a long time,” the press release reads. “She may have thought that due to the fact that she was already out on bond for Fleeing to Elude and Knowingly Driving While License Suspended/Revoked.”
The incident occurred during the early evening hours near the corner of Rolling Hills Court East and Masterpiece Road in Lake Wales, a small city located some 60 miles due east of Tampa.
A deputy says Mittelstadt was “swaying left of the middle of the roadway” in a silver Ford Mustang convertible, which prompted him to briefly follow behind the car before attempting a traffic stop, according to an affidavit complaint filed in Polk County court.
“I utilized my patrol vehicles’ emergency lights and sirens to conduct this attempted traffic stop,” the deputy wrote. “The vehicle then increased speed from approximately 40 Mph to 60 Mph and fled.”
The defendant allegedly exceeded the speed limit, but barely, while giving chase, according to the sheriff’s office. Then it got a bit worse.
As the woman approached an intersection with a highway where other vehicles were backed up “approximately 100 yards,” the fleeing car “proceeded into oncoming traffic briefly until cutting through the Sunoco Gas station parking lot.”
Then, the first deputy lost track of Mittelstadt, the affidavit says.
Other deputies soon arrived in the vicinity and the Mustang was found again — still on Masterpiece Road.
Again, law enforcement tried to perform a traffic stop; again Mittelstadt allegedly hightailed her muscle car away from the flashing lights and wailing sirens, the affidavit claims.
Eventually, the deputies pulled a so-called “PIT maneuver” (Precision Immobilization Technique) to end the chase — which entails another vehicle forcing the fleeing vehicle into an abrupt sideways turn so that the driver of the pursued car loses control.
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Mittelstadt was then arrested and Mirandized, the sheriff’s office says. Then she allegedly expressed those fears about her continued liberty.
“Post Miranda warning, Kristin advised she had fled from law enforcement because she did not want to go back to jail for her driver’s license,” the affidavit reads. “Kristin advised she knew her Florida Driver’s license was revoked. Kristin also admitted that she had smoked some methamphetamine earlier in the day.”
The sheriff’s office alleges the defendant has had her driver’s license revoked since 2009.
Mittelstadt is currently being detained on $12,000 bond.