Truck Thief Goes On Wild Joyride In Frederick County Before Being Busted, Sheriff Says

A woman who went on a joyride in a vehicle stolen from a Frederick County gas station didn’t get far and was quickly apprehended after causing mayhem on and off the road, officials said.

Gabbriella Christina Smoot
Photo Credit: *Frederick County Sheriff's Office*

Zak Failla

02/08/2023 1:37 p.m.

Gabriella Christina Smoot, age 23, of Essex, is accused by Frederick County Sheriff’s investigators of stealing a GMC Sierra that was left unoccupied and running in the parking lot of the Valero gas station on South Seton Avenue in Emmitsburg.

The call for the stolen pick-up truck was made at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 7, when the owner advised that he left the vehicle running while he went inside the store, and when he came out, it was heading into town without him.

Deputies responded and were able to quickly locate Smoot in the stolen truck, driving recklessly through town, passing a school bus, striking a fence, and driving through a yard before ultimately being stopped on East Main Street in Emmitsburg.

Smoot was arrested without further incident and charged with:

Unlawful taking of a motor vehicle;
Theft of between $1,000 and $25,000;
Unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle;
Reckless endangerment.

“The (Frederick County Sheriff’s Office) wants to remind all vehicle owners to not leave vehicles running unattended, even if the operator believes it is for mere minutes,” officials noted.

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