A Georgia woman's dream vacation turned into a nightmare when she was handcuffed at an Atlanta airport just moments before boarding a flight to Scotland for a crime she says would've been impossible to commit.
Karen Maloof, 54, spent days behind bars for stealing a U-Haul despite never having set foot in the Florida city where the crime occurred.
She's now suing the city of Palm Bay, Florida, its police department, and an officer, seeking damages for what she calls a preventable, traumatic miscarriage of justice.
Maloof's ordeal began back in 2017 when her driver's license was stolen. Years later, in 2022, two women allegedly used that stolen license to rent a Ford Transit van from U-Haul in Palm Bay, Florida, the suit states.
"U-Haul allowed the perpetrators to rent the truck remotely via text message and other electronic means with no verification of the renter's actual identity," the lawsuit alleges.
The company never tried to reach Maloof at the address on her license after the van was stolen. Instead, Palm Bay Police Officer Cody Spaulding pushed for criminal charges and based them solely on a Probable Cause Affidavit, the lawsuit claims.
Authorities had issued a warrant for Maloof's arrest on charges of grand theft auto, larceny and fleeing from justice. On May 19, 2023, Maloof was handcuffed, locked in a holding cell and subjected to a body cavity search, an ordeal the complaint describes.
"Maloof was locked in a holding cell with a dozen other women, several of which were high on methamphetamines and heroin, screaming, passing out and bleeding due to the drugs," the lawsuit says.
She remained in custody for three days before being released. On May 31, 2023, the State Attorney's Office dropped the charges.
"All this fear, trouble and legal expenditure could have been avoided but for the lack of care on behalf of Defendant Spaulding, the City of Palm Bay and the City of Palm Bay Police Department," the lawsuit claims.
