Inset: Stephanie Carlquist (Madison County Detention Center). Background: Madison County Courthouse (Google Maps).
A 31-year-old expectant mother from Kentucky was taken into custody after reportedly vandalizing her former boyfriend’s car. The alleged acts include pouring salt into the engine, cutting the tires, and adding glitter to the air conditioning vents.
Stephanie Carlquist, who appeared to be gleefully smiling in her official mug shot, was taken into custody last week and charged with one count of first-degree criminal mischief, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
Under state law, first-degree criminal mischief is a Class D felony that occurs when an individual “intentionally or wantonly” destroys or damages any property causing a loss of $500 or more and carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The alleged damage to the ex-boyfriend’s car was inflicted on two separate days in July, according to court documents obtained by Lexington CBS and CW affiliate WKYT.
The report states that on July 6, Carlquist slashed one of the tires on her ex’s car to prevent him from leaving her home. She allegedly returned to the vehicle sometime after a July 15 argument, which is when she is accused of pouring salt into the engine, glittering the air conditioning vents, and shattering his windshield, rearview mirrors and radio screen.
The ex-boyfriend on July 20 reportedly called a tow truck and had his car brought to a local Goodyear repair shop. There, mechanics provided him with an estimate of $12,464 in damages, but ultimately determined that the vehicle was “completely damaged beyond repair,” Louisville CBS affiliate WLKY reported.
According to the Richmond Police Department, Carlquist spoke to the driver of the tow truck when he arrived at her home to pick up her ex-boyfriend’s car. During the conversation, she allegedly admitted to destroying the vehicle, per WKYT. The tow truck driver then called the ex-boyfriend’s mother, who co-owned the damaged car, and informed her about Carlquist’s admission.
The mother also obtained messages allegedly sent by Carlquist to her son through Instagram in which Carlquist confessed to and apologized for damaging the vehicle, telling her ex that she was “just stressed out” due to being pregnant, Lexington Fox affiliate WDKY reported.
“The only thing I did was put glitter in the air vents and hurt the windshield,” she wrote in one of the messages, per WLKY. “He was overdue for oil and motor and everything else. Oh, and the tire.”
Carlquist’s father also reportedly sent the ex-boyfriend text messages confirming that his daughter was responsible for damaging the car.
“He’ll make sure Stephanie pays him back for all the damage to the car,” police reportedly wrote, referencing the father’s messages, in a probable cause affidavit. The father also reportedly said he hoped that they could “come to a better solution than Stephanie taking a felony charge, so nobody gets hurt anymore.”
Carlquist was taken into custody on Thursday and released after posting bond of $12,000. She is currently scheduled to appear in court for her arraignment on Monday.
