In a bizarre twist of repeated lawbreaking, a Florida woman has been arrested for committing the very same offenses she was previously charged with and out on bond for, according to authorities in Polk County.
Kristin Ann Mittelstadt, 35, faces six charges, including fleeing to elude law enforcement, knowingly driving with a suspended or revoked license, driving as a habitual offender, reckless fleeing, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia, as detailed in Polk County Jail records.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office highlighted the ironic nature of Mittelstadt’s alleged actions in a wry press release.
“Mittlestadt told deputies that she fled because she knew that if she got caught, she would likely be going to jail for a long time,” the statement reads. “She may have thought that due to the fact that she was already out on bond for Fleeing to Elude and Knowingly Driving While License Suspended/Revoked.”
The incident unfolded during the early evening near Rolling Hills Court East and Masterpiece Road in Lake Wales, a city approximately 60 miles east of Tampa.
A deputy spotted Mittelstadt’s silver Ford Mustang convertible swerving and initiated a traffic stop, according to an affidavit filed in Polk County court.
“I utilized my patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and sirens to conduct this attempted traffic stop,” the deputy wrote. “The vehicle then increased speed from approximately 40 mph to 60 mph and fled.”
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Mittelstadt allegedly sped away but stayed just above the speed limit, authorities say. The situation escalated as she approached a congested highway intersection. She briefly drove into oncoming traffic before cutting through a gas station parking lot to evade capture.
Although the deputy lost sight of her, additional units quickly located the Mustang on Masterpiece Road. A second pursuit ensued, with Mittelstadt allegedly fleeing once again. Deputies eventually deployed a PIT maneuver (Precision Immobilization Technique), forcing the vehicle to stop.
After her arrest, Mittelstadt reportedly admitted to fleeing law enforcement because of her suspended license.
“Post Miranda warning, Kristin advised she had fled from law enforcement because she did not want to go back to jail for her driver’s license,” the affidavit states. “Kristin advised she knew her Florida Driver’s license was revoked. Kristin also admitted that she had smoked some methamphetamine earlier in the day.”
Authorities revealed that Mittelstadt’s driver’s license has been revoked since 2009. She remains in custody at the Polk County Jail on a $12,000 bond.
