Gary Woman Charged With Auto Theft And Conversion In Schererville Incident
Schererville-A 38-year-old Gary woman is accused of driving away in an acquaintance’s SUV after he stepped inside a Speedway gas station on U.S. 30, leading to the vehicle being located later that evening with her behind the wheel.
According to court documents, the reporting man told police he had not spoken with Tara Mae Smith for about five months until she contacted him on November 10 asking him to bond her out of jail. He said he posted her bond, and she left the jail with her boyfriend rather than with him.
The man stated that on November 11, he and Smith were exchanging text messages when she became upset about not being able to obtain her impounded vehicle. He reported that she took “hostage” his $2,000 John Deere snowblower, so he drove his 1998 Ford Ranger to her residence in Gary, retrieved the snowblower, and gave her a ride.
He told police he switched into his father’s 2010 blue Ford Escape and drove with Smith to the Speedway at 219 W. Lincoln Highway around 8–9 p.m. to buy fuel for the snowblower. According to the affidavit, he left the keys in the Escape’s ignition when he went inside the store for about two minutes. When he returned outside, both Smith and the Escape were gone. He told police he never gave her permission to take the vehicle and that she blocked his phone afterward.
The man reported that he walked about 40 minutes back to his St. John residence, then drove his Ford Ranger to Smith’s home in Gary to look for the Escape but did not find it there. He said he was temporarily staying at her residence and later discovered items in his vehicle out of place. He also told police he learned for the first time that Smith had been involved in a traffic stop earlier that morning while driving his Ford Ranger, which he stated he never authorized.
On the morning of November 13, Schererville police were notified that Lake County police had located the Escape the prior evening around 7:58 p.m. with Smith as the sole occupant and driver.
Charges filed November 13,2025:
• Auto Theft – Theft of Entire Motor Vehicle (Level 6 Felony)
• Conversion (Class A Misdemeanor)
Smith was lodged in the Lake County Jail November 12,2025.
