Cops: Woman used dead grandma's handicapped permit to park

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando police are taking a more aggressive approach to crack down on people who park illegally in handicap spaces.

Instead of issuing tickets, they're throwing people in jail.

Ashley Hickey was arrested early Wednesday morning after police caught her using her dead grandmother's handicapped parking permit to park downtown, officers said.

Those WFTV talked to said they were shocked by the arrest.

"Her grandmother is dead, so why is she still using her parking pass?" Chris Dunn said.

Hickey told police she was picking up her grandmother, but then admitted that wasn't true.

According to authorities, the problem's gotten so bad in that area that they're now exercising the option to enforce jail time for the misdemeanor offense.

Residents are skeptical.

"I think it's ridiculous," said Kristin Raia."I just think there are worse things in this world that the police need to lookout for."

"I think he should have let her go with a warning, I think that would have been enough," said Raia.

In the past two years, Orlando police have ticketed at least 64 people for using someone else's permit.

But they couldn't say if they've ever arrested anyone else for it before.

WFTV