GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) — A woman was booked into jail after Alachua County Sheriff’s deputies say she pretended to need help as a trick to steal a truck on Monday.

Deputies say Melinda Waters, 42, was lying in a ditch beside County Road 231 when a driver pulled over to see if she needed help.

As the driver walked over to help, deputies say Waters got up, hopped in the driver’s seat, and drove off.

Deputies spotted the stolen truck on Northwest 34th Boulevard, just south of US Highway 441. The truck stopped on Northwest 74th Place, where Waters was arrested.

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Waters was booked into the Alachua County Jail on the charge of grand theft of a motor vehicle. Her bond was set at $15,000.

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