POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A man was arrested in Polk County, Florida, last week after he reportedly stole a car after he filled out a job application at a gas station in the area, officials say.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Jacob Thompson, 23, on Friday around 4:30 p.m. had stopped at the Pilot Travel Center on State Road 60 in Bartow to inquire about a job at the store. He was given a job application to fill out and was told to return on Monday.
About 17 minutes later, deputies were called out to the store about a carjacking. Judd said that Thompson had reportedly stolen a 2022 Cadillac XT4 and almost ran over the victim.
If you saw a mess of traffic (more than usual) on Interstate 4 near US 27 near Davenport on Friday, October 6th, here's what happened..
— Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) October 8, 2023
Friday afternoon at around 4:30pm, 23-year old Jacob Thompson of Winter Haven stopped off at the Pilot Travel Center at 7990 State Road 60 in… pic.twitter.com/hQsyP0gSaW
Deputies were able to track down the stolen car, according to WFTV. It was heading on U.S. 27 and then onto Interstate 4.
Once on I-4, Thompson allegedly began speeding, the news outlet reported. He then crashed the car and attempted to flee but was caught by deputies.
Thompson sustained minor injuries from the crash, WFTV reported.
Thompson was arrested. According to the news outlet, he facing multiple charges including grand theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
