Jacksonville Police Officer Arrested for Felony Criminal Mischief in Jacksonville
A JSO officer was arrested on December 17th for felony criminal mischief in Jacksonville, Florida. Megan Ray has been charged with a third degree felony, punishable for up to 5 years in prison. Police say she was observed walking over to the victim's car (the victim is the current wife of Ray's ex-husband) and looking inside. She allegedly then forcibly pulled on the front and rear driver's side door handles in an attempt to open them. Once she realized the doors were locked, Ray allegedly tried to puncture the front passenger's side tire many times and tried to remove the Fraternal Order of Police emblem from the victim's license plate. Apparently, this was recorded on video. Six days later, the victim reported that her left rear tire on the driver's side was flattened at a sub-station. A silver Nissan was observed by an officer leaving the scene and the driver had long blonde hair. The officer thought it was Megan Ray. When Ray was arrested, she had her right hand bandaged. She allegedly admitted to flattening the victim's tires and cutting her hand in the process.
The crime of Criminal Mischief can be either a misdemeanor or felony in Jacksonville. A person commits criminal mischief is he or she willfully and maliciously injures or damages by any means the property belonging to another. If the damage is $200.00 or less, it is a second degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail. If the damage is more than $200.00 but less than $1000.00, it is considered a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail. If the damage is $1000.00 or more, it is considered a third degree felony.
In Ray's case, the prosecution will have to prove that the damaged tires are worth at least $1000.00 in order to justify filing the third degree felony in Jacksonville.
