Woman Charged With Stealing Rental Car In 2002: Westport PD

WESTPORT, CT — A woman accused of stealing a car from a Westport rental car agency in 2002 was arrested Thursday, according to police.

In a news release, Police Lt. David Wolf said officers responded to Avis Rental Cars on Sept. 5, 2002, after receiving a report that a customer had rented a car and failed to return the vehicle.

According to Wolf, the manager said the car was supposed to have been brought back to Avis in early August but had yet to be returned as of Sept. 5. The customer was identified as Michelle Kinner, 45, of Bridgeport.

Prior to contacting police, Avis purportedly sent Kinner a letter asking her to return the car, Wolf said.

"Since the vehicle was a month overdue and efforts to recover it from Ms. Kinner were not successful, the car was deemed to be stolen," Wolf said in a news release. "Therefore, a warrant for Ms. Kinner's arrest was completed and signed by a superior court judge."

Kinner turned herself in at the Westport Police Department on Thursday and was charged with first-degree larceny (motor vehicle theft), Wolf said.