Yield To Pedestrians…Or Else?

By Matt Wiley | May 21

Large parking lots are tricky places to drive, especially near grocery stores, where pedestrians constantly are crossing in front of vehicles. One Wesley Chapel pedestrian, unhappy that a car did not yield to her, has been arrested after taking matters into her own hands.

According to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), 23-year-old Natasha Myers, of Wesley Chapel, was arrested on May 21, after keying a vehicle on April 17 in the Publix parking lot, located in the Shoppes at New Tampa shopping plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. The report says that Myers even left a note.

The PCSO report says that Debra Streets, 63, returned to her car in the parking lot after shopping at Publix on April 17. When she was pulling out of her parking space, she noticed a yellow note on her windshield. Streets exited the vehicle and read the note.

“Hey, I keyed your car,” the note said, according to the report. “You didn’t yield to pedestrians as is law. Since no cop to enforce a ticket, this should cover the cost of your fine. Have a nice day. P.S. Don’t be a d—k next time.”

The report says that Street’s car was scratched down to the metal along the passenger side of the vehicle, with scratches in the shape of a penis on the hood. In an interview, Streets told PCSO deputies that she did not recall having any altercations with anyone in the parking lot before entering the Publix.

A deputy obtained video surveillance from a Publix customer service staff member, who also recalled a customer asking for a piece of paper to write a note at the time of the incident, the report says. PCSO was able to identify the suspect using the video.

Streets was instructed to call the deputy after getting a quote on how much repairs to her vehicle would cost, which surpassed $1,000. Once the damage was assessed, PCSO arrested Myers, who has been charged with one count of criminal mischief and was being held at our press time at the Land O’ Lakes jail on a $5,000 bond.