JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A central Florida man faces a felony grand theft charge after authorities say he was pulled over Thursday morning in Alachua County while driving a stolen Ferrari.
The traffic stop happened about 8 a.m. on State Road 93 in Gainesville when an officer noticed a black Ferrari California that came up as stolen driving slowly beside a red Corvette.
The driver, 26-year-old Hilburn Jay Hunkins, told the officer the high-end car belonged to a friend, but he could not provide the friend's name or number, according to an arrest report.
Hunkins was booked into the Alachua County jail on a charge of grand theft of property valued at $100,000 or more. At last check, jail records showed Hunkins was being held without bond.
The Ferrari, which is valued at $250,000, was reported stolen out of Palm Beach County Dec. 8, according to the report.
A search of social media found Hunkins, who listed Uber driver as his profession in the arrest report, lives in Kissimmee where he works as a realtor.
The Gainesville Police Department later made light of the circumstances surrounding the arrest with a tongue-in-cheek Facebook post warning users about the pitfalls of stealing exotic cars.
"If you ARE going to steal a $250,000 Ferrari...with the window sticker still on it...DON'T drive next to a [police] vehicle with a license plate reader," the post read in part.
PRO TIP: 1. Don't steal stuff. It's just not nice. 2. Certainly don't steal a $250,000 2017 Ferrari California....
Posted by Gainesville Police Department on Thursday, December 28, 2017