Teens Charged in Connection with Two Grand Theft Auto Incidents
Date: June 12, 2020
On 06-10-2020 at 5:17 p.m., Hernando County sheriff’s deputies responded to the 7-Eleven located at 4710 Commercial Way in reference to the report of a stolen vehicle.
The female victim went inside the gas station to prepay for gas. The victim realized she left her debit card in her vehicle. Upon exiting the business, she observed an unknown individual entering her vehicle.
The suspect, later identified as Jaydon Kyle Meal W/M DOB/02-11-2002, proceeded to use the keys to start the vehicle and drive off.
Witnesses at the scene quickly alerted a deputy, who had arrived at the gas station while the incident was occurring.
The deputy attempted a traffic stop, but Meal failed to stop. Meal drove the vehicle into the back parking lot of Lowe’s Home Improvement, where he lost control on the vehicle and crashed into a retention area.
Meal fled the area on foot, and he was not immediately located.
Deputies were able to locate the vehicle Meal had arrived in at the gas station.
The vehicle was located traveling south on Commercial Way and was reported stolen out of Tallahassee a day earlier. Deputies detained the occupants of that vehicle, Jayden Ashton Johnson W/M DOB/04-01-2005 and Jasmine Quijada Salazar W/F DOB/01-06-2003.
During questioning, Salazar admitted to stealing the vehicle on 06-10-2020 while in Tallahassee. Salazar said she then drove to Lake City to pick up her boyfriend Johnson.
Johnson then had Salazar drive to Old Town, near Gainesville, to pick up Meal.
Once all three were in the vehicle, they proceeded south until they arrived in Hernando County. Salazar said the only reason they stopped in Hernando County was to get gas.
Salazar said once they arrived at the gas station, Meal saw someone had left keys inside of a vehicle and decided to steal it.
While Salazar was being questioned, her phone kept ringing. Salazar advised it was Meal who was calling.
Meal told Salazar, while deputies were listening, he was hiding just east of the gas station, near Staples, which is just south of 7-Eleven.
Meal told her he had to abandon the stolen vehicle due to being pursued by law enforcement.
Deputies responded to the area of Staples and SunTrust Bank and located Meal, who attempted to flee on foot. He was quickly apprehended.
Meal was charged with Grand Theft Auto and Fleeing/Attempting Elude Law Enforcement. His bond was set at $4,000.
Salazar and Johnson were each charged with one count of Felony Grand Theft Auto. Salazar was charged with an additional count of Petit Theft, and Johnson was charged with an additional count of Not Possessing a Valid Driver’s License. Both juveniles were transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice in Ocala.
