Sumter County investigators arrest suspected car thief

Sumter County Sheriff’s Office says an alert investigator with the sheriff’s office arrested a suspected car thief who was later identified as Arianne Molina Baker on Tuesday afternoon. (Photo: Sumter County Sheriff’s Office)

SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO)– Sumter County Sheriff’s Office says an investigator with the sheriff’s office arrested a suspected car thief Tuesday afternoon.

The suspected car thief who was identified as Arianne Molina Baker was arrested after an investigator spotted a suspicious vehicle on Wesmark Boulevard in Sumter County.

SCSO says the investigator saw a vehicle with an improper license plate that matched the description of one recently reported stolen from a local dealership, so a traffic stop took place.

An investigation confirmed that the vehicle had been stolen.

Baker admitted to Sumter County deputies to using an electronic programming device to also take another vehicle.

A records check revealed Baker was driving with a suspended license which made this incident her third offense.

During the search of the vehicle, investigators found a quantity of methamphetamine and merchandise believed to have been shoplifted from a local business.

She was taken into custody and then taken to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, where she is awaiting a bond hearing.

The 44-year-old was charged with grand larceny (x2), possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, driving under suspension, and shoplifting.