[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 09/01/20]
LEESBURG, Florida — A 24-year-old man who Lake Legal News reported on in April for being accused of stealing a vehicle is facing a new accusation of stealing yet another vehicle in July, according to a probable cause affidavit. (Prosecutors have notified the man they will seek “habitual offender” status against him.)
Austin Dean Chaudoin, of Astatula, was booked into the Lake County Jail Aug. 24 for the 14th time since 2015, on a warrant after allegedly stealing a 2006 Chevy Equinox on July 26 from an acquaintance who was playing video games at a home on Grove Street in Leesburg, according to the affidavit. The Chevy belonged to the acquaintance’s mother, the affidavit states.
When the man realized the Chevy was gone, he called Chaudoin multiple times and was unable to reach him; the man told his mother the SUV had been stolen and she reported it to law enforcement. Chaudoin then called the man back and berated him for reporting the vehicle stolen and the man’s mother took the phone, told Chaudoin she reported it stolen, and he hung up, the affidavit states.
About three hours later, Chaudoin called the man and told he him wrecked the SUV off Emeralda Avenue and Emeralda Island Road in Leesburg, according to the affidavit. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Aug. 6 and he was nabbed on Aug. 24 at the same home he stole the SUV from, according to the arrest report.
In April, Chaudoin was accused of stealing a truck from Umatilla; that victim told a Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy the truck had GPS tracking and it showed the truck was on Lakeview Avenue in Leesburg. A deputy in the area truck responded to the address the GPS was showing and saw the truck parked out front and Chaudoin standing outside the truck, according to an arrest affidavit. Chaudoin got in the truck and the deputy approached him. Chaudoin exited the truck and the deputy noted the keys were in the ignition and the truck was running. The deputy believed Chaudoin was attempting to flee but was struggling to operate the truck since it had a manual transmission, the affidavit stated.
Chaudoin was taken into custody and found to have multiple warrants stemming from an incident in early April in Tavares. In that case, Chaudoin is accused of burglarizing a home and shooting a man in the wrist on Maplewood Street on April 13.
In his latest case, Chaudoin is charged with grand theft auto and his bond was revoked on the stolen truck charge from April. He is being held in the LCJ on no bond.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
