Florida woman sets fire to car she locked herself into to nap, deputies say

Woman attempted to smash out front windshield with hands and feet

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A woman was arrested after she broke into a vehicle at a car dealership to sleep, then set the car on fire with a cigarette as she was locked inside, deputies say. 

Video shows Dolores Graham, 62, being removed from a vehicle outside a car dealership on South Pine Avenue.

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Deputies say they were called to the dealership on reports of a suspicious incident. When they arrived, they found Graham inside of one of the dealership's vehicles, deputies said. The front windshield of the car was shattered, the video shows.

Graham told deputies that she broke into one of the vehicles on the lot to sleep and locked herself inside. She said she then tossed a cigarette under the front seat of the car, which caused it to start on fire. Graham claims she couldn't get out of the car, so she began to smash out the front windshield with her hands and feet, according to a Facebook post by the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

Deputies were able to show her how to exit the vehicle, and she was removed, the video shows. They then used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames, according to the post. 

Graham was transported to the Marion County Jail on charges of burglary of an unoccupied structure and felony criminal mischief. 

WOMAN BREAKS INTO DEALERSHIP'S CAR TO SLEEP, ACCIDENTALLY SETS FIRE WITH CIGARETTE, CAN'T UNLOCK CAR

WOMAN BREAKS INTO DEALERSHIP'S CAR TO SLEEP, ACCIDENTALLY SETS FIRE WITH CIGARETTE, CAN'T UNLOCK CAR Marion County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) Deputy Jarrick Donely responded to an auto dealership located at the 1800th block of South Pine Avenue in reference to a suspicious incident. Upon arrival, Deputy Donely located the defendant, Dolores A. Graham (DOB: 08/17/1955), locked inside one of the vehicles listed for sale on the lot. Graham told deputies that she illegally entered the car to sleep and locked herself inside. She had tossed a cigarette underneath the front seat of the car, which caught on fire. Graham stated she was unable to unlock the doors so she attempted to smash out the front windshield with her hands and feet. Sgt. Micah Moore responded to the scene and was able to get Graham to press the correct unlocked button and he removed her from the vehicle. A fire extinguisher was then used to put the fire out. Graham was transported to the Marion County Jail and has been charged with Burglary of an Unoccupied Structure and Felony Criminal Mischief.

Posted by Marion County Sheriff's Office on Monday, March 19, 2018

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