A 16-year-old Tampa girl is facing a stack of charges after deputies say she rammed a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office patrol car while trying to escape in a reported stolen vehicle near Sheldon Road and W. Hillsborough Avenue.
Authorities identified the teenager as Angelisa Ugarte. According to deputies, she now faces counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing to elude, resisting an officer without violence and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Arrest and Charges
According to Tampa Bay 28, deputies were called to the area of Sheldon Road and W. Hillsborough Avenue for a vehicle reported stolen. When they tried to stop the suspected stolen car, Ugarte allegedly took off instead of pulling over.
During that attempted getaway, deputies say she hit a marked sheriff’s patrol vehicle. Tampa Bay 28 reports the teen was taken into custody at the scene and booked on the listed charges, including grand theft motor vehicle, fleeing to elude, resisting without violence and possession of drug paraphernalia. The initial dispatch did not specify whether any deputies or bystanders were injured.
Where It Happened
The encounter unfolded in the Town 'n' Country section of west Tampa near the busy intersection of Sheldon Road and W. Hillsborough Avenue, a corridor where deputies are no strangers to auto-theft calls. Neighbors in the broader area have previously reported seeing chase activity, although the initial account of this incident did not describe a prolonged high-speed pursuit.
Investigators with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office are handling the follow-up work and, aside from booking details, have not publicly released additional information about the case.
HCSO’s Auto-Theft Push
The incident lands in the middle of a larger crackdown on auto theft by HCSO, which has elevated its Auto Theft Task Force into a permanent unit and credits that move with better recovery and clearance rates. The agency says specialized squads - including Auto Theft, K-9 and Aviation - help deputies track stolen vehicles faster and make arrests more quickly.
For background on those expanded efforts, see the task force overview from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Legal Next Steps
Because Ugarte is 16, the case starts in juvenile court. Under Florida law, however, prosecutors or a judge can seek to move certain juvenile cases into adult court, depending on the charges and circumstances. That decision is controlled by state statute and specific legal criteria.
The rules for waiving juvenile court jurisdiction are outlined in Florida Statute 985.556.
What Happens Next
Tampa Bay 28 reported that Ugarte was arrested Saturday and booked on the listed counts, but initial coverage did not include formal charging documents or detailed court records.
From here, deputies and prosecutors will determine whether to file juvenile delinquency petitions and whether to seek a transfer to adult court. Further updates are likely to come from HCSO or local media as the case moves through the system.
