A woman has been arrested in St. Petersburg after she carjacked a woman and went on a hit and run rampage on Monday morning.
Michelle Renee LaMotte, 31, reportedly walked up to a red Chevrolet on 36th Avenue North and began hitting and kicking the woman who was getting into the car, in an attempt to carjack the vehicle. The Chevrolet was a rental and the woman in the car did not know LaMotte.
LaMotte got her hands on the keys of the rental Chevrolet and drove away in the stolen vehicle.
At the same time, an officer was in the area of 36th Avenue and 33rd Street and witnessed LaMotte driving erratically and observed LaMotte commit a hit-and-run to another car at the intersection. The officer did not know at the time that LaMotte had just carjacked the vehicle she was driving.
The Chevrolet was damaged in the hit-and-run accident. The police officer attempted to pull over LaMotte, however she refused to stop and ended up hitting another car at low speed at the intersection of 30th Avenue North and 37th Street. Police say LaMotte jumped out of the carjacked Chevrolet and got into the vehicle she just hit, attempting to take the car from the driver.
Police took LaMotte into custody. She was transported to a local hospital for medical clearance. While LaMotte was in the hospital, the police officer read her Miranda Rights to her and she slapped the hand of the officer, grabbed the Miranda card and threw it.
LaMotte faces multiple criminal charges. Charges have not yet been released.
