A California couple who were running late for court was determined to get there on time, by any means, even if it meant stealing a vehicle. However, even though you were being charged with something you didn't originally do, committing another crime, such as stealing a car, will in fact get you in trouble. Unfortunately, James Manning and Teresa Castillo learned this the hard way.
According to Yahoo! News, a vehicle dealership in Redding, California, contacted the authorities when a 2001 Mitsubishi had been stolen from their lot. The police were able to local the car with a global positioning system where they found it was parked in front of the Tuolumne County Courthouse. Upon discovering the car, police noticed the license plates had been changed.
Authorities waited and finally saw Castillo approach the vehicle. When prompted, she explained that she and Manning had purchased the car earlier that day for just $200 so that would be able to make his appointed court appearance on time.
Castillo, who was inside the courthouse, was being charged with a possession of a controlled substance at a previous encounter. When first questioned, Manning denied knowledge of the stolen car. However, he later admitted to the robbery.
The Modesto Bee reported that drug paraphernalia and marijuana was found inside of the stolen vehicle. The California couple was taken into custody at the Tuolumne County Jail and charged with possession of stolen property and possession of a controlled substance.