Judge Sets Hefty Bond For Police Car Thief

Mary Taylor's bond was set at $850,000 surety and $25,000 cash by a Dearborn County judge on Friday.

Mary J. Taylor. Photo by Dearborn County Sheriff's Department.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) – A large bond amount has been assigned to the Cincinnati woman whose joyride in a police cruiser was brought to an end in Dearborn County.

Mary Janay Taylor, 20, is accused of stealing a police cruiser from the Forest Park, Ohio Police Department early Thursday morning. When police spotted her driving the vehicle in northern Kentucky, she traveled into southeastern Indiana on Interstate 725. She crashed on the ramp from I-275 to U.S. 50 in Greendale and was taken into custody.

A Lawrenceburg Police officer suffered a broken hand and a laceration requiring staples in apprehending Taylor, according to court documents.

Making her initial appearance in Dearborn Superior Court II on Friday, Taylor pleaded not guilty to charges of Resisting Law Enforcement Causing Bodily Injury (level 6 felony), Resisting Law Enforcement with a Vehicle (level 6 felony), Theft of a Motor Vehicle (level 6 felony), and Criminal Mischief (class B misdemeanor).

Each level 6 felony Taylor faces carries a penalty of six months up to 2 ½ years.

Judge Sally McLaughlin set Taylor’s bond at $850,000 surety and $25,000 cash. McLaughlin cited Taylor’s risk of failure to appear and called her a risk to community safety.

A Dearborn County deputy prosecutor said she has past convictions in Ohio for assault, obstruction of official business, and criminal damaging. She is allegedly in violation of her probation in Hamilton County and will also face a vehicle theft charge in Ohio.

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