A simple traffic stop turned into a comedy of errors for a Lakeland couple whose elaborate deception unraveled almost instantly, leading to their arrest.
LAKELAND, Fla. – A hit-and-run report in Lakeland took a bizarre turn on Tuesday when deputies say a couple’s fabricated story quickly fell apart, revealing a clumsy attempt to hide a probation violation. The incident serves as a reminder that a lie can often be far more complicated than the truth.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) deputies responded to a residence on Savannah Avenue after receiving a report from 29-year-old Rafaela Collo. She claimed she had been driving with her boyfriend, Dwayne, when their vehicle was hit by another car at the intersection of US 98 South and Winter Lake Road. Collo even provided a tag number for the supposed “suspect” vehicle that had fled the scene.
However, the deputies’ investigation quickly exposed the holes in their story. When they located the vehicle Collo had identified, it was completely undamaged. The driver of that car told deputies that while a verbal altercation had occurred, there was no crash…