Man, Jacob Thompson Arrested for Car Theft After Cancelled Job Interview in Florida

 


Making a lousy first impression with a potential employer is probably not the way to go. A 23-year-old guy from Florida experienced just that when he got himself arrested on Friday. He had his job interview canceled at a gas station, and then he allegedly stole a car from the gas station, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The whole thing started when Jacob Thompson was supposed to have a job interview at 4:30 p.m. at the Pilot gas station in Bartow. He gave his job application to a clerk but was told there was no one available to do the interview. The clerk wasn't sure how Thompson even got to the gas station, to begin with.


Meanwhile, another fellow from West Palm Beach stopped at the same gas station on his way to a weekend getaway. He picked up some snacks and even some chocolate, then returned to his 2022 Cadillac XT4. He put the chocolate inside and thought he locked the car before going back into the store. 

Little did he know, Thompson decided to seize a different (and very illegal) opportunity while his job interview was on hold.

When the car owner returned, he found Thompson inside his ride. The car owner got in front of the vehicle and shouted at Thompson to get out. Instead, Thompson drove off, narrowly missing the car owner. 

Polk County Sheriff’s deputies were called, and they discovered the car had OnStar. OnStar informed them that the car was headed north on U.S. 27. Deputies located the car and tried to pull Thompson over, but he hit the gas, reaching speeds of up to 100 mph. 


Eventually, OnStar said it was going to shut down the engine. Not long after, Thompson lost control of the car, hit a guardrail, and flipped over. He fled on foot but was arrested shortly after a brief struggle.

Deputies found a gun in the car that didn't belong to the owner. Thompson is now facing a heap of charges, including grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing and eluding, and resisting arrest. On top of all that, he was on probation.

So, instead of showing up for that job interview on Monday, Thompson found himself cooling his heels at the Polk County Jail, where he's being held without bond.

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