Staff report

HAWTHORNE, Fla. – Tamara Lee Burgess, 32, of Waldo, was arrested yesterday and charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle and driving without a valid license after she was pulled over in a car that had been reported stolen.

At about 9:35 a.m. on June 19, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy was searching U.S. Hwy 301 in Hawthorne for a 2012 Ford Mustang convertible that had been stolen from a person who lives in Lawtey.

The deputy reported that numerous traffic cameras showed a white female with “maroon dyed hair” driving the convertible with the top down, with alerts in Melrose at 4:00 a.m. that morning and in the Citra area of Marion County at 9:30 a.m. The deputy reportedly saw the convertible and conducted a traffic stop in the 6800 block of SE 216th Terrace.

Post Miranda, Burgess reportedly said she bought the car for $150 and had a bill of sale. However, she reportedly changed her story more than once, and the arresting deputy reported that the last version was that she acquired the car because the owner could not pay for $150 worth of drugs sold by her boyfriend.

Burgess’ driver’s license has been suspended 15 times since 2013, and she has four previous convictions for driving without a valid license.

Burgess has 10 felony convictions (none violent) and five misdemeanor convictions (one violent). She has served two state prison sentences, one out of Alachua County and one out of Bradford County, with her most recent release in 2015. Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail at $20,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.