He needed to get his weed to California — so he set out to steal a plane, police say
Love can make you do crazy things.
But stealing a truck and then trying to steal a plane to fly more than a pound of marijuana across the country has to be some type of love-related record. If it is, Robert Stienstra, 22, will go down in the history books.
Stienstra was arrested Saturday on several charges, including grand theft, felony marijuana possession and fleeing the scene of a crash after police found him in the pilot’s seat of a 2008 Socata TBM 700 aircraft.
His first question?
“The male looked at me and asked me if I knew how to fly the airplane,” the arresting officer wrote, according to the charging affidavit.
Daytona Beach police first began looking for Stienstra late Friday night when they received reports of a stolen truck. The 22-year-old was suspected of taking the vehicle because it belonged to company he used to work for, police say. In fact, when the owner called Stienstra, police say he confessed.
“’I am driving your and I’ll pay you back,’” Stienstra said, according to the affidavit.
The search for the vehicle eventually reached New Smyrna Beach police, who followed the trail to Epic Flight Academy. There, Stienstra had been spotted on the wing of the plane asking a flight instructor “How he can fly the plane,” police say.
By the time the officer reached him, Stienstra was inside the aircraft attempting to figure it out. The officer asked him if he knew what was going on but didn’t get a response, according to the affidavit. He was then placed in police custody.
During an interview, Stienstra told officers that he had recently bought the plane for $20,000 cash and planned on flying to see his girlfriend in California. A search of his person yielded several items, most notably methamphetamine and a 1.5 pound-bag of marijuana, police say.
Stienstra was then booked into Volusia County jail where he remains on $30,500 bond.
This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 6:58 AM.
