Former Car Dealership Owner Arrested for Grand Theft Auto

BROOKSVILLE – The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting the arrest of a Riverview woman for possession of stolen Cadillac's, after the driver was stopped for Speeding on I-75.

On Wednesday, Troopers conducted a traffic stop on a 2018 Cadillac Escalade that had a dealer's tag attached. The driver, 39-Year-old Yajaira Martinez advised she did not have paperwork for the vehicle, so Troopers ran a check of the VIN numbers to makes sure it matched the tag. Officials say the VIN, which appeared to have been tampered with, came back to a 2020 Cadillac that was stolen out of Pennsylvania.

During an interview, Martinez stated that she used to own a car dealership in Tampa called Champa Bay Auto Brokers. Troopers responded to the location of the dealership and discovered a 2022 Cadillac Escalade that was reported stolen out of Clearwater, Florida.

Troopers arrested Martinez and booked her into the Hernando County Jail on charges of Grand Theft Auto and Possession of a Vehicle with an Altered VIN.

Martinez posted a $4,000 bond the following day.