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Woman caught stealing cement pavers threatens to sue for back injury

PORT RICHEY, Fla. (WFLA) – A 54-year-old Florida woman was arrested Sunday after she was caught stealing cement pavers from a home in Port Richey.

Deputies arrested Julie Ann Upright just after 5 p.m. on Woodbridge Court, when he found 42 cement decorative blocks, worth $420, in her vehicle.

The homeowner told detectives that he caught her taking the blocks without permission. They were part of a remodeling project and were stored in the front yard, about 4 feet from the roadway, the owner said.

Upright said she thought they were trash. Deputies said she then threatened to sue the owner because she hurt her back on his property while loading the blocks into her vehicle.

To make matters worse, the deputy said the blocks were stolen within a county that was subject to a state of emergency declared by the governor under chapter 252.

Upright was taken to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center.