Woman Who Stole Car, Drove Into Deputy Sentenced: Sheriff

BRADENTON, FL — A 23-year-old woman who stole a car and tried to run over a deputy in January has been sentenced to 25 years in the Florida Department of Corrections, followed by 10 years of supervised release, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Katarina Vanfossen faced various charges following the Jan. 20 incident, including motor vehicle theft, fleeing to elude, leaving the scene of a crash and the second-degree attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, MCSO said.

When deputies found a stolen white Ford Taurus that morning, the driver, later identified as Vanfossen, drove away after being involved in a crash, the sheriff’s office said.

Later that day, the MCSO Aviation Unit located the car parked on the south side of Mad Marks at 3007 1st Street in Bradenton.

As deputies approached the car, Van Fossen attempted to drive out of the parking lot, but one of the responding deputies blocked her path with their unmarked vehicle, the sheriff's office said. The deputy got out of her vehicle and told Van Fossen, who was reversing out of the parking lot, to stop.

Van Fossen accelerated the car forward and hit the deputy, who landed on the hood. The suspect kept driving, hitting another MCSO vehicle and throwing the deputy to the ground, the sheriff’s office said.

Van Fossen got out of the car and was arrested by other deputies at the scene.

The injured deputy was taken to an area hospital for treatment and was released in good condition.