Routine visit to Ocala Police Department building didn't end the way this woman expected
Several months ago, Ocala Police Department Officer William Joedicke tracked down Alexei Francis Bellow and issued her a ticket for leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.
Joedicke, a traffic homicide investigator, told Bellow she didn't have a valid driver's license and her vehicle was not properly registered.
Bellow was cited by Joedicke because officers said her vehicle rear-ended another vehicle in late May along Southwest 42nd Street, just west of Southwest 27th Avenue.
Last month, Bellow was involved in another crash, this time at U.S. 441 and Northwest 35th Street. A 3-year-old girl was ejected from the vehicle. Officers believe Bellow was responsible for the wreck because her vehicle ran the red light.
The child was hospitalized, treated, and later released.
On Jan. 12, Bellow drove to the Ocala Police Department to pick up property she had left behind after the December crash. But instead of taking the property in her hands, the 35-year-old woman had handcuffs placed on her.
She had a warrant for her arrest. The charges: driving on a suspended license and no motor vehicle registration. The charges stemmed from the December crash.
Handcuffed and sitting in a metal chair while officers confirmed her warrant, Bellow was smiling and chatty.
Told she had a warrant and it was valid, Bellow was escorted to a police squad car by an officer and transported to the Marion County Jail for booking. Bellow was released after posting a $1,000 bond on Jan. 13.
Bellow's driving history
Local court documents show from 2007 to 2024, Bellow has received eight traffic citations. Three were for speeding and the rest for violations such as no proof of insurance or careless driving. In five of the cases, the citation was dismissed or adjudication was withheld.
Records show on Jan. 10, she had a traffic infraction for fail to stop at steady red signal before making right turn.
For the May incident, court documents show Bellow entered into a deferred prosecution agreement. She is required, among other things, to not violate any laws — federal, state or local — and to notify the State Attorney's Office in writing if she's arrested during the agreement period. If she is arrested, she will be thrown out of the program.
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Bellow signed the agreement in late October 2023. The program lasts until Feb. 28.
About the December crash
In the December crash, officers said Bellow was behind the wheel of an Acura that was traveling north on U.S. 441. She T-boned a Scion driven by a woman whose child was inside the vehicle.
The minor was ejected from the Scion and onto the roadway, police said. Although a car seat was in the Scion, the child was not restrained, authorities said.
Officers did not issue a citation to the child's mother.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Unexpected outcome of local woman's visit to Ocala Police Department HQ
