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Man Leaves Movie to Steal His Date's Car

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on December 19, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Sometimes, dates don't end well. One unlucky 35-year-old woman's date with Florida man Michael Pratt is especially illustrative of this point. Pratt asked his date for her keys, then left in middle of a movie to steal her car.

Pratt, 27, originally told the woman that he needed something from the vehicle, according to the miffed date. Except, he never came back.

When she called him, Pratt laughed and told her that he stole her car. He then hung up.

The 35-year-old woman tried to get the car back for several days. The vehicle, a 2012 Ford Focus, was actually a rental car. She called investigators after she spent two days fruitlessly dialing Pratt's number to no avail.

Approximately four days after the movie date, Pratt called her and told her he dumped the car in a Walmart parking lot. He was arrested and charged shortly after for grand theft.

Under the Florida Penal Code, if a person steals a motor vehicle they can be charged with grand theft of the third degree, a third degree felony.

Grand theft can also be charged in cases where the property stolen is a firearm, a commercially-farmed animal, or if the property stolen is above a certain monetary value.

If convicted, Pratt may face a harsh sentence. He previously served more than a year in prison for another grand theft charge, as well as fraud, forgery, and failing to return rental property. An individual's criminal history can come into play during sentencing.

Michael Pratt may also be guilty of committing a social faux pas. Legally speaking, having bad manners isn't against the law. But leaving a movie to steal your date's car? That's just mean.

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