Pictured below is a woman who is a menace to area streets and residents.
She is Sinead T. Lynch. She is 38 and lives in Overland Park.
Sinead (probably pronounced shi-nade) is decidedly bad news. Her “thing” is stealing cars and driving wild and crazy, regardless of the consequences. Instead of being hooked on crack (which is also a possibility), she is hooked on wild rides.
Fortunately, she apparently has killed no one yet, but she recently did several hundred thousand dollars worth of damage to a building at 18th and Oak after crashing a stolen SUV into the building at — as they say — a “high rate of speed,” while trying to elude police.
On Monday, Sinead was charged with tampering with a motor vehicle, fleeing from a lawful police stop and careless and imprudent driving in connection with the Nov. 20 incident.
But that incident wasn’t her first. Oh, no. In a story on The Star’s website today, Tony Rizzo reports that Lynch recently got out of prison after serving four months for crimes related to a chase earlier this year — a chase in which she nearly struck several other drivers and pedestrians.
She hasn’t limited her cowgirl vehicular antics to Kansas City, either. Rizzo reports the following:
“…according to court and prison records in Florida, Lynch amassed a lengthy record of charges there involving stolen vehicles, driving without a license and fleeing from police, including an incident in 2007 in which police officers nearly were struck and several houses were damaged.”
Rizzo reports that Sinead was driving a Nissan SUV that was reported stolen from a motel in Kansas City, North, early the morning of Nov. 20.
I wondered what was going on at that motel, but Rizzo’s story — written for a family audience — didn’t get into the seamy details.
But Fox 4 News, never shy about getting into the messier stuff, pretty much told the rest of the story. It said:
“According to a probable cause statement, a man reported his 2005 Nissan Armada stolen from a Days Inn located at 7100 N.E. Parvin Road at about 2:30 a.m. on November 20. The man told police he had given a ride to a woman he didn’t know, and later gave her his keys so she could retrieve her purse from the SUV. Instead of returning his keys, the man told police the woman drove away.”
My guess as to what happened is that Sinead picked the man up in a bar somewhere — or quickly succumbed to his overtures — and took him up on his offer to go to a motel to continue the “date.”
The guy must have been quite surprised and confused when Sinead asked for the car keys and never came back.
It wasn’t until about eight hours later — 10 a.m. — that officers saw the stolen SUV being driven fast near 12th and Benton. After seeing the driver run two red lights, police gave chase, and, between that point and 18th and Oak, she drove on the wrong side of the road at times and even drove up onto sidewalks, sending pedestrians scattering.
The “bait-and-steal” trick is probably Sinead’s m.o. It would appear that she is more interested in stealing cars and driving them recklessly than she is in dispensing sexual favors to “lucky” pursuers…and I’m not talking about the cops here.
I’m glad no one was hurt in this incident, and, for the sake of all area residents, I hope she spends a lot more time in prison this time — and then goes back to Florida.
Editor’s note: At the request of people with good taste, this story has been “cleaned up” from its original version.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Jim, I think this gal is from Kentucky, where the women are fast and the horses are beautiful (or is it the other way around?). At any rate, I’ll keep my eye out for her the next time I cover the Demolition Derby in McLouth.
I’m sure that if she doesn’t already know about that event, it’s one she’d love to attend…when she gets out.
Let’s hope that, for the safety of all of us citizens, she is behind bars for a long time and her driver’s license permanently revoked.
Thanks for bringing the police Beat back to social media…Let’s go grab a sandwich at Sanderson’s and head back downtown; I’m working a split shift.
Sanderson’s…Joe Teasdale’s old haunt.
Regarding your Editor’s note: Thank you for toning it down, though I still find the headline cringe-worthy.
I’ll stand by that headline…
Your privilege, of course, just expressing my opinion.
You’re a very valued reader and commenter, Gayle…
Jim, for the record, I was not offended by the original story. I did, however, think you embellished a little on the “attractiveness” of Sinead T. Lynch. This is an old con that usually preys on men of the same character as the con artist.
The bigger problem arises when these criminals try to escape the long arm of the law. That is when citizens become endangered.
I hope the justice system in this state will take into consideration her repeat offenses and realize what a danger to society she is. She needs to be put away (with no chance for parole) long enough that her means of entrapment are no longer available to her for even the most desperate/despicable of men.
Looks like we agree on this one.
You stated in a previous post that you appreciated that I was thick skinned. Well, I don’t think it is so much that, as it is that even though we don’t always see eye to eye, we respect each other’s opinions and are willing to listen to each other.
jenniferm and I engaged in a personal dispute (which I believe I was baited into) on a public forum, and you were right to call us out. I was never, in any way, offended by that. Sometimes I need a reprimand to put me in place.
Anyway, let me know when you are ready to do lunch!
P.S. If we go on a Saturday, you can buy me a Dos Equis also! LOL
The original story was over the top, and Patty and Brooks gave me an earful on it. I was able to salvage it with some fancy footwork, though.
As you know, I’m working “without a net” here, just trusting my own judgment, which can’t always be trusted! Still feeling my way along after almost five years of blogging.
We’ll do the lunch soon, but probably on a weekday, unless you’re going to take a cab to Ponak’s on a Saturday and drink a couple of XOs.
Right! I know the missus can trump the freedom of speech on any occasion. Been there all too often myself, and likely justified. Don’t have a daughter, but I’m sure they posses the same power. Oh, well, you gave it a go, and I got a laugh along with the point. Either way, good post!