A Kentucky woman faces a felony charge after allegedly destroying her ex-boyfriend’s car with salt, glitter and physical damage that totaled nearly $12,500, Fox 56 News reported Saturday.
Stephanie Carlquist, 31, was arrested by Richmond police on Aug. 14 and was charged with first-degree criminal mischief following a five-day vandalism spree in July, according to Fox 56 News. The damage began July 6 when Carlquist allegedly slashed a tire on the vehicle, stranding her ex at their residence. (RELATED: Meet The Suspects Who Spent Holiday Week Getting Arrested For Alleged Tesla Vandalism)
Rescuers and local residents remove a car from the mud and debris a day after flash floods in the Buner district of the monsoon-hit northern Pakistan’s mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on August 16, 2025. (Photo by HASHAM AHMED/AFP via Getty Images)
Court documents show the destruction escalated between July 15 and 20, when Carlquist allegedly poured salt into the engine, dumped glitter in the air conditioning vents, cracked the windshield and rearview mirror, and destroyed the radio screen. The ex-boyfriend discovered the full extent of damage on July 20 when he had the vehicle towed to a Goodyear shop. Mechanics estimated repairs would cost $12,464.
Carlquist admitted to the vandalism in messages to her ex-boyfriend, according to screenshots his mother provided to police. The mother co-owns the damaged vehicle. “Just stressed out,” Carlquist allegedly wrote, attributing her actions to pregnancy-related stress, the outlet reported. She offered to pay for repairs, give him another car, or provide her own vehicle as compensation, emails show.
Her father attempted to intervene, texting the victim: “He’ll make sure Stephanie pays him back for all the damage to the car.” He suggested they could “come to a better solution than Stephanie taking a felony charge, so nobody gets hurt anymore.”
Madison County Detention Center records show Carlquist remains in custody on a $12,000 bond, according to the outlet. The felony charge carries potential prison time if she’s convicted.