Authorities arrested Shannon Marie Dillon in St. Lucie County after finding the marked patrol vehicle abandoned along Interstate 95.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — A 42-year-old Fort Lauderdale woman faces charges in two counties after authorities say she stole a marked Broward Sheriff’s Office patrol car Tuesday night and drove north before the vehicle was found abandoned along Interstate 95 in Port St. Lucie.
Shannon Marie Dillon was taken into custody in St. Lucie County after a search involving several law enforcement agencies. Authorities said deputies found her near the abandoned vehicle wearing an outer ballistic vest displaying Broward Sheriff’s Office insignia. She faces charges in both St. Lucie and Broward counties, while investigators continue trying to determine how the marked patrol car was taken.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office said regional 911 dispatchers were notified shortly after 9 p.m. Tuesday that a marked vehicle had been stolen from the public parking area outside the agency’s Public Safety Building at 2601 W. Broward Blvd. The vehicle was a Dodge Charger, according to news reports citing authorities. Investigators began searching for it with help from the Florida Highway Patrol, Port St. Lucie Police Department and St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities issued an alert as the vehicle traveled north on I-95. St. Lucie County deputies, Port St. Lucie police officers and Florida Highway Patrol troopers responded to the area around Gatlin Boulevard at about 9:40 p.m. The Florida Highway Patrol located the patrol vehicle abandoned on the northbound exit ramp to Gatlin Boulevard, near mile marker 118, according to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies searching the area then encountered Dillon. Authorities said she was wearing a ballistic vest bearing Broward Sheriff’s Office insignia. Body camera footage released after the arrest showed deputies ordering her to the ground before taking her into custody. No injuries were reported in the accounts reviewed for this story.
Dillon was booked into the St. Lucie County Jail on charges that include grand theft of law enforcement equipment, unlawful use of a police badge or law enforcement vehicle, unlawful possession of four or fewer identification items and possession or use of drug paraphernalia. She also faces charges of possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, driving with a suspended license and resisting an officer without violence. The charges are allegations and do not establish guilt.
Authorities said Dillon also faces Broward County charges of grand theft of law enforcement equipment from an authorized emergency vehicle and grand theft. Investigators have not publicly explained how she allegedly gained access to the patrol car or how it was removed from the Public Safety Building parking area. CBS News Miami reported that the Broward Sheriff’s Office has opened an Internal Affairs investigation into the incident.
The investigation temporarily affected traffic in St. Lucie County. The northbound I-95 exit ramp to Gatlin Boulevard was closed while crime scene investigators processed the area where the patrol car was recovered. Authorities said the ramp reopened at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday.
Dillon appeared before a St. Lucie County judge Wednesday. During the hearing, the judge repeatedly directed her to listen as the allegations and court matters were addressed. The judge also noted that Dillon had previous convictions and was already out on bond in Broward County, according to NBC 6 South Florida. A public defender was appointed to represent her.
Questions remain about the circumstances surrounding the theft, including how the marked vehicle was accessed and how Dillon allegedly obtained the Broward Sheriff’s Office ballistic vest. The sheriff’s office said its investigation remains ongoing, and authorities had not announced additional arrests in connection with the case as of Wednesday.
Author note: Last updated September 24, 2026.