(April 8, 2024) — On Sunday, December 10, 2023, officers working for the Cape Coral Police Department responded to Northeast Cape Coral. Officers met with the reporting party who requested officers’ assistance to retrieve her deceased mother’s vehicle from a local residence. The reporting party stated that her mother’s ex-boyfriend, John A. Bixenman (DOB 07/20/1977), refused to give her the keys and title to the vehicle despite it being left to the reporting party in her mother’s will.
Bixenman was contacted and he stated he was given the title of the car a year prior to drive it for work purposes.
Initially, no party involved was able to display documents showing active ownership of the vehicle. The vehicle was left in the possession of Bixenman due to conflicting stories of who the vehicle belonged to.
The reporting party then obtained a replacement title at the County Tax Collector’s Office. The duplicate title was then transferred into the reporting party’s name. The reporting party provided the original Certificate of Title from the State of Florida showing her as the registered owner of the vehicle.
The reporting party advised that Bixenman has no permission to be in possession of or drive the vehicle now or even when her mother was living. The reporting party tried to make contact with Bixenman several times by phone and in person, but Bixenman would not give the vehicle back.
On March 3, 2024, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office located the stolen vehicle in North Fort Myers. Deputies pulled over the driver, John Bixenman, and advised that they smelled the odor of an alcoholic beverage and observed an open can of Modelo beer inside. Based on their total investigation, Bixenman was placed under arrest by Deputies for the violation of F.S.S. 316.1983(2b3), DUI 4th or More offense, and was transported to the Lee County Jail.
Bixenman had yet to return the vehicle and was depriving the reporting party of that vehicle despite their attempts to retrieve it. Based on the investigation, John Bixenman took the vehicle with the permanent intent to deprive the reporting party. Bixenman was already in custody at the Lee County Jail based on Lee County’s DUI charge.
He was served with paperwork detailing the following charges by Property Crimes Detectives:
–1 count in violation of F.S.S. 812.014(2)(C)(6), – Grand Theft Motor Vehicle, a Felony of the Third Degree.
Arrested: John A. Bixenman (DOB 07/20/1977)
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