WMBB News 13 - The Panhandle's News LeaderTwo Women Charged with Selling Stolen Vehicle

The Bay County Sheriff's Office announced today the arrest of two women in connection to the theft and fraudulent sale of a car.

On January 18, 2012, the Bay County Sheriff's Office was contacted by the owner of the vehicle, a 2001 Chevrolet, who stated she had returned home after a trip out of town to discover her car was missing from where she had last parked it. She had parked the car at the home of her daughter at 9222 Widener Street in Panama City.

Later the same day, the BCSO received a call from a man who stated he had just bought a car from two women and needed a VIN number verification. The man stated he purchased the vehicle for $1,500 and now had possession of it. The car purchased matched the description of the stolen vehicle. When investigators contacted this man, he denied any knowledge that the vehicle was stolen at the time of the sale. The man was able to identify the two women who sold him the car as Debbie Phelps and Destiny Locklear. The man then showed investigators text messages sent to him by Locklear after he had purchased the car, informing him the vehicle he bought was stolen.

Investigators discovered Phelps and Locklear lived at 9222 Widener Street, the same address the original owner of the vehicle had parked the car. The two women were tenants of the original owner's daughter. Phelps, DOB 5/10/86, and Locklear, DOB 11/21/86, were arrested and charged with Principle to Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle and Principal to Dealing in Stolen Property. Phelps, already on felony probation for Grand Theft, received an additional charge of Violation of Probation.

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Information provided by the Bay County Sheriff's Office