CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Mariya Sue Knowles, 27, was arrested Saturday night after police discovered she was driving a stolen U-Haul cargo truck. She now faces a felony charge of motor vehicle theft.
Police stopped the truck on Oct. 19 around 8:35 p.m. near Deming Drive after suspecting it might be stolen. The 2012 Ford U-Haul, valued at $45,000, had been reported missing two days prior.
Knowles told officers that a friend had given her the keys on Oct. 12 and that she couldn’t reach the friend to return the vehicle. However, the friend denied giving Knowles permission to drive the truck. She explained that Knowles was only supposed to help load the U-Haul in exchange for $100 and that she intended to drive it to the U-Haul center herself.
The friend said she tried to contact Knowles multiple times the next morning, including six phone calls and a text message warning, “My mom is going to call the police.”
Knowles’s bond was set at $5,000 cash or surety.
