Woman accused of stabbing man during Bradenton carjacking, deputies say
A woman faces felony charges after deputies say she stabbed a man during an early-morning carjacking and drove off in his vehicle on Thanksgiving Day in Bradenton.
Deputies arrested Sarah Ann Prior, 41, on charges of carjacking with a deadly weapon and armed burglary with an assault or battery in connection with the Nov. 27 attack, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Under Florida law, both charges are classified as first-degree felonies, punishable by up to life imprisonment.
An attorney representing Prior did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
Deputies said they responded to a parking lot outside a store in the 5100 block of 15th St. E. for a possible stabbing when they found a man bleeding from a laceration to his stomach. They administered first aid and applied pressure to another wound on the back of his neck until paramedics arrived and brought him to HCA Florida Blake Hospital, according to an arrest report.
While treating the victim, paramedics said they discovered a third cut on his left-hand ring finger, the report said.
The man later told deputies that he’d been sitting in his parked Honda CR-V when Prior approached his vehicle, opened the passenger door and began speaking to him in English. The victim, who speaks Creole, said he did not understand what the woman was saying.
Woman arrested in Bradenton carjacking case
Deputies say Prior then pulled a knife from her bag and began stabbing him without provocation. The victim exited the vehicle to escape the assault, but investigators say Prior used that as an opportunity to climb into the driver’s seat. When the man reached back inside the vehicle, he told deputies Prior cut his hand before driving away, according to an arrest report.
Investigators said they recovered the stolen Honda CR-V on Dec. 2 and interviewed a man driving the vehicle, who said he received it from a woman he knew as “Sarah Ann.” He said he did not know it had been stolen, according to the report.
With the man’s help, investigators located a social media account connected to Prior and obtained her Florida driver’s license information. Two days later, the victim “immediately identified” Prior from a photographic lineup administered by a detective, with the assistance of a translator, according to an arrest report.
Detectives said they later interviewed Prior’s ex-boyfriend, who allegedly told them she’d been “involved in taking someone’s vehicle within the last week.” When investigators asked him how he knew, he said she had told him that she did it.
Deputies arrested Prior and booked her into the Manatee County jail, where she remains in custody without bond, according to jail records. Court records show she pleaded not guilty on Jan. 6 and demanded a jury trial.
Prior is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 13 before Circuit Judge Teri Dees at the Manatee County Judicial Center in downtown Bradenton, according to court records.
