Victoria Police Arrest Hit and Run Car Thief

VICTORIA – The Victoria Police Department located and apprehended a car thief last past weekend after investigating an incident that took place in the town on August 17.

The Victoria Police Department received a call of a stolen vehicle that was allegedly taken on Thursday, August 17 at approximately 9 p.m. Victoria Police Chief Keith Phillips said the victim reported that she had left her residence along the 1600 block of Lane Avenue in Victoria around 9 p.m. and when she returned at 10 p.m., her vehicle had been taken.

The car in question is a 2014 Hyundai sedan and had been parked at the residence. The investigation continued into the weekend and the vehicle was eventually located within the town limits of Victoria.

The suspect identified as having taken the car was Mark Anthony Couch of 8th Street in Victoria. The 26-year-old Couch was arrested by Chief Phillips on August 20 and taken to Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville on a secured bond.

Couch is charged with felony unauthorized use of a vehicle and driving on a suspended license.

In addition to the charges he faces in Lunenburg, Couch allegedly was involved in a hit and run accident in Crewe, Virginia after stealing the vehicle in Victoria. He faces charges there that include leaving the scene of an accident and driving on a suspended license.

The car stolen by Couch suffered approximately $6,000 in damage from the hit and run incident in Crewe.