Strange incident this weekend resulting in a subpoena
Location: Virginia
I put up a small fire safe (keyed) on Facebook Marketplace. I had previously searched for the value which was between $25-$60 and listed it for $35. I added that price was firm - no haggling. I had several people who were interested and I typically go with first come. This was Thursday night and she wanted to come the next day and I told her I was busy and we agreed on Saturday.
My work was dead Friday morning so I asked her if she would like to come around lunch-ish and she said she had a couple of errands anyway and would come.
It took her forever to get there so I put the safe on my front porch. Bad idea looking back, but I left the keys inside of it. I kept doing small chores while I waited. I have an apartment in the back that I rent out and my tenant had gone up front to pick up some of his packages from the delivery box. While he was there, she showed up and he offered to get me.
She had backed her huge older model SUV into my driveway. And in the couple of minutes it took for me to put my paintbrush down and come to the front porch, she had loaded the safe in her backseat and gotten behind the wheel and shut the door, while only leaving a 20 on the porch. I will admit that this REALLY pissed me off. She knew the price was $35!
On the way over to her truck she started asking if I kept cigarettes in the safe twice, which pissed me off even further because it's another tactic buyers use to try to get the price down.
I opened her back door and took out the safe and hauled it back over to my porch. While I'm doing this she screams "Wait a minute, let me see if I have the money!" And "Ma'am! Do you have change for a 20?!" At this point I wanted nothing else to do with her. I was so angry that I ripped her $20 bill in half twice and threw it back in her window. I told her to get the fuck off my property. Those quotes are verbatim and you can hear them clearly on my ring camera video.
She refused to move so I ended up calling the cops. Long (already) story short, they ended up filing destruction of property against ME and now I have to go to court. They kept asking me to just give her $20 without ever offering to give me the ripped up bill in exchange. I was in so much shock at the time I didn’t think to ask for it.
After I had told her that the cops were coming, she had finally pulled out of my driveway and pulled her vehicle onto the street. I also want to mention that these 2 cops were SO young…definitely not out of their 20s.
The last thing that happened after they gave me the summons, was that they asked me if I had the keys to the safe. I checked inside of it and I said no, they’re gone. Then one of the cops reached his hand out and handed them back to me.
The whole thing was just really weird and I’m freaking out because as a rideshare driver, I can’t have any misdemeanors on my record. Rideshare is basically the only way I have to make money at this time.
I have no idea if the woman has to come to court either. I don’t know if it’s her filing charges against me or the county.
I am so sorry this has been so long. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Can this charge even hold up?
What can I do to prepare for court?