Woman accused of stealing plane and ditching it

[March 13, 2010]  SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) -- A Santa Rosa woman was arrested for allegedly stealing her landlord's airplane, then abandoning it in a field after it ran out of gas.

Authorities said a 27-year-old woman had access to the Piper Cherokee because she had been borrowing it for piloting lessons. But she allegedly took the plane without permission Tuesday from a hangar at the Sonoma County Airport.

Authorities said she landed it in a Modoc County ranch field when she ran out of gas, didn't report the incident and hiked to a nearby hotel to spend the night.

Curious residents called authorities about the abandoned plane, and deputies arrested the woman the next morning on suspicion of grand theft and aircraft theft.

Modoc County Undersheriff Gary Palmer said the woman was found with keys to the plane and admitted to taking it.

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Information from: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, http://www.pressdemocrat.com

[Associated Press]

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