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Salted Engine, Glitter AC: The Pettiest Car Total in Kentucky

Written by Scott K. James

Police say a Kentucky woman salted her ex’s engine, glitter-bombed the AC, and racked up $12,464.96 in damage. Totaled car, felony charge, $12,000 bond.

WKYT reports a Richmond, Kentucky woman allegedly turned her ex’s car into a mobile arts-and-crafts crime scene. Police say Stephanie Carlquist is accused of salting the engine like a ribeye and sprinkling glitter into the AC vents, with a side order of slashed tire, cracked windshield, cracked rear‑view mirror, and a shattered radio screen. Damage estimate: $12,464.96. Verdict from the shop: totaled.

According to the complaint, the tire slash happened on July 6, and the rest occurred after a July 15 argument. A tow truck took the car to a Goodyear, and the driver told the co-owner’s mom that Carlquist allegedly admitted to doing the damage. Police say Carlquist later DM’d an apology on Instagram, citing pregnancy stress, then admitted the glitter and windshield hits in an interview, while blaming the rest on the car being “overdue” for service. She’s charged with felony criminal mischief and held on $12,000 bond at the Madison County Detention Center.

The Bullet Point Brief

  • Salt meets steel. Complaint says she poured salt into the engine and glitter into the AC. Mechanics everywhere just aged ten years.
  • Timeline, because receipts matter. Tires on July 6. Everything else after a July 15 argument.
  • Total loss, total mess. Goodyear pegged damage at $12,464.96 and called the car “completely damaged beyond repair.”
  • “I did it,” allegedly. Tow driver says she confessed, then she apologized via Instagram citing pregnancy stress.
  • Charges and bond. Booked on felony criminal mischief, $12,000 bond, Madison County Detention Center.

My Bottom Line

Hell hath no fury like an ex with access to the baking aisle. This was less “key a car” and more “molecular gastronomy for revenge,” featuring a glitter HVAC upgrade no detailer can fix and an engine marinade that would make Gordon Ramsay cry. Pro tip for the recently single: if your love life ends, your maintenance schedule should not. And if you are tempted to weaponize craft supplies, maybe log off Instagram and walk it off.

About the author

Scott K. James

A 4th generation Northern Colorado native, Scott K. James is a veteran broadcaster, professional communicator, and principled leader. Widely recognized for his thoughtful, common-sense approach to addressing issues that affect families, businesses, and communities, Scott, his wife, Julie, and son, Jack, call Johnstown, Colorado, home. A former mayor of Johnstown, James is a staunch defender of the Constitution and the rule of law, the free market, and the power of the individual. Scott has delighted in a lifetime of public service and continues that service as a Weld County Commissioner representing District 2.