- April 26, 2024
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Two weeks ago, Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested 60-year-old Palm Coast resident Ruth Ellen Vantassel for filing a false report that her nephew stole her Jaguar. Last week, they learned the report wasn’t false — not really. It was just a week early.
Vantassel first called the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office April 30, saying her nephew, who lived with her, stole her 1989 Jaguar after she asked him to move out of the house.
Deputies contacted the nephew, 46-year-old William Michael Caldwell, who said she loaned him the car but then became angry and threatened to report it stolen. He showed them text messages from Vantassel that supported his story.
Deputies went back to Vantassel, asked her if she was sure of her story, warned her that filing a false report was a crime, and asked her if she wanted to go forward.
After she said she did and signed the paperwork, a deputy told her he’d seen the text messages. She held out her hands and said, “Arrest me then, I lied to you.” He did.
But May 5, Vantassel again called the Sheriff’s Office saying her nephew stole her car.
Dispatch warned the deputy driving out to her home that she’d been arrested the previous week for falsely saying the same thing.
But this time was different. The car, which Caldwell had “half agreed” to return April 30, according to the report, was now in Michigan.
Vantassel realized what happened after a Michigan resident called her saying Caldwell had sold him the car and told him to call Vantassel to get the title.
The Michigan State Police recovered the car.
