"Oh boy," is the perfect way to sum up this story.
A lawyer staying in St. Petersburg, Florida for a convention brought his 2014 Ferrari 458 Spider to the show and left it with the valet. One would assume that he tipped well as the car was placed front and center, and that the staff would recognize that its owner was a 73-year-old-man.
Turns out one early morning a 28-year-old-man, Levi Miles, was trying to impress his 24-year-old date, Chloe Rimmer, when he essentially pressured the valet into giving him the keys to the car. Although Miles didn't know how to drive the vehicle even remotely, he did get it in gear and moving along after some time.
Unfortunately for Miles and Rimmer, they were stopped not too long after because the rocket scientist didn't know how to turn on the vehicle's lights. That's when police noticed cocaine on the center console and things got really hairy.
Long story short, Miles didn't technically steal the vehicle because the keys were provided by the valet. The lawyer whose vehicle was released sees things differently as he has filed a lawsuit to remedy the vehicle's diminished value.
Miles was charged with grand theft of more than $100,000, possession of cocaine and habitually driving with a suspended or revoked license. Rimmer, on the other hand, was only charged with possession of marijuana as a gram of it was discovered in her purse.
It’s a problem almost no one can relate to: The valet hands the keys to your $300,000 Ferrari to the wrong person.
It happened in July at the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, according to police, who ended up arresting the man and woman who drove off in it.
Now, the owner of that yellow 2014 Ferrari 458 Italia Spider has filed a lawsuit against the Vinoy and its parking operator, 717 Parking Enterprises.
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