A woman who allegedly made off with an Amish family’s horse and buggy that was parked outside of a Sturgis, Michigan, Walmart on January 20 was found hiding underneath a pile of clothes in a motel shower.
A truck driver who was parked in the lot and witnessed the theft told police he saw a woman make off with the rig. He provided police with a full description of the woman, later identified as 31-year-old Lona Latoski, according to MLive. Officers determined that she was likely in the motel room, where they found her under the pile of clothes.
Latoski admitted to taking the horse and buggy after she “knocked on one side of the buggy and got no answer and then went to the other side of the buggy and knocked,” according to the arrest report. She then “got into the buggy and took it home.”
Lona told officers that “she had instant regret about taking the buggy, but that she was cold and needed to get home.”
The black double buggy, valued at $12,000, and the horse, valued at $8,000, were both returned unharmed, according to police.
Latoski was arrested and faces charges of larceny of livestock, as well as larceny between $1,000 and $20,000. Both are felonies. She could face jail time and fines if convicted.