Thieves befriend 88-year-old at Walmart to sell her car on Craigslist, Florida cops say

Two skilled con artists befriended an 88-year-old woman at a Florida Walmart, then sold her car on Craigslist without her knowing it, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.

The duo, a man and woman, vanished with the profits and remain at large, the sheriff’s office said in a Dec. 19 news release.

It happened in Leesburg, about 45 miles northwest of Orlando.

“These two thieves ... stole a vehicle from an 88-year-old Leesburg woman under the guise of helping her,” officials said in the release.

“(They) befriended the 88-year-old victim at the Leesburg (Walmart) in early November after approaching her in the parking lot and offering to fix some damage to her car. Over the following days, the couple gained access to the victim’s home, at which time detectives believe they stole the title to her car.”

The man is believed to be the one who sold her car on Craigslist, officials said.

Investigators didn’t reveal how long it took the victim to figure out her car had been stolen and sold — or if it has been recovered.

A warrant for the arrest of the two suspects has been issued on charges of “exploitation of the elderly, grand theft auto, dealing in stolen property, and scheming to defraud,” officials said.

This story was originally published December 20, 2022 at 8:53 AM with the headline "Thieves befriend 88-year-old at Walmart to sell her car on Craigslist, Florida cops say."