Handcuffed woman steals Florida police car
By Andrew Marra
Friday, February 18, 2005 - Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
The West Palm Beach Police Department is investigating how a handcuffed woman was able to steal an officer's patrol car Monday and speed away while the officer looked on.
After a three-hour search, police found 46-year-old Debbie Camene wandering in the city's north end and arrested her on a charge of grand theft auto.
Camene already had been arrested earlier Monday night, allegedly for soliciting prostitution along South Dixie Highway.
Officer Bryan Williams placed her handcuffed into the back of his patrol car about 8:40 p.m. and drove her to the north end of the city, where he was waiting to pick up more arrestees, police spokeswoman Dena Kimberlin said.
He parked the car on the 2800 block of Spruce Avenue and left the keys in the ignition.
"That's when he got out of his car," Kimberlin said. "A motorist appeared to be having problems."
Still cuffed, Camene managed to maneuver her arms to the front of her body and wiggle into the front seat, Kimberlin said. There, she put the car in drive and sped off about 9:30.
Police say Camene drove the car to the 500 block of 28th Street, where she got out and began knocking on doors to ask for help.
Officers eventually tracked her down a block away and arrested her. In all, she had been on the loose for about two hours, Kimberlin said.
Williams' actions while transporting Camene in his patrol car are under "supervisory review" to determine if any department policies were violated, Kimberlin said.