In Webster, a police operation swiftly concluded with the arrest of a local woman found behind the wheel of a vehicle reported stolen. Authorities from the Webster Police Department shared the narrative of how a routine day quickly turned into an arrest story linked to vehicle theft and drug possession.
The case unfolded after Officer Robert Rockwood received a report on May 29 about a rental car that had been stolen the previous night from the North Village apartment complex. By issuing a BOLO—Be on The Lookout—to nearby jurisdictions, Webster police officers and detectives were primed to swiftly locate the stolen vehicle. At approximately 11:51 am, Detective Sergeant Christopher Trainor and Detective Timothy Whiting spotted the car parked in front of a multi-family residence on Pleasant Street. After bringing the vehicle to a halt, two women were removed, with driver Laurina Opatka, found to be operating on a suspended license, placed under arrest by Officer Sean Ebbeling. A search uncovered a small amount of crack cocaine along with suspected drug paraphernalia on the driver's seat, an area Ms. Opatka had earlier claimed was given over to her by another party. According to a social media post by Webster Police Department, the suspect admitted that she had been passed the stolen car by someone else.
Laurina Opatka, a 34-year-old resident of Chase Ave, Webster, now faces several charges, including operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, possession of a Class B drug, and receiving a stolen motor vehicle. The Webster Police Department reminds the public that all suspects should be considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, as their social media statement clarifies.
