A Marion County man is facing a felony theft charge after his daughter accused him of stealing her pickup truck.
On Tuesday, October 1, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the Orange Blossom Motel located at 17575 N U.S. Highway 301 in Citra in reference to a stolen vehicle.
According to the arrest report, a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck that had been reported stolen out of Alachua County had been located in the motel parking lot.
After arriving at the motel, the deputy approached the pickup truck and made contact with its sole occupant, identified in the report as 44-year-old Citra resident John Hamilton.
Hamilton was sitting in the pickup truck, and he told the deputy that it “belonged to his daughter.” He allegedly admitted to “taking the vehicle and refusing to bring (it) back,” according to the report.
The deputy noted in the report that law enforcement confirmed that the pickup truck belonged to Hamilton’s daughter, and the vehicle was returned to her.
Hamilton was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail. He was released the following day after posting a $2,500 bond, and he is being charged with grand theft of a motor vehicle.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.