A 19-year-old Tampa man and six juveniles were arrested early Sunday morning after a Mount Dora-area gas station was ransacked and burglarized.
Lake County sheriff’s deputies responded to the Chevron gas station on County Road 19A, where a witness said two vehicles approached the business. They reported seeing several people exit the vehicles with crowbars, break the gas station’s windows and began stealing items, a sheriff’s office report states.
Deputies were able to see the incident on video surveillance and a short time later, they located the vehicles fleeing the area exceeding speed limits and running stop signs. One of the vehicles came to a stop and the subjects fled on foot, while the second one was pulled over a short distance away and everyone in it was taken into custody, the report says.
The vehicles contained all of the items taken from the store, which were estimated to be worth more than $5,000. After an extensive search of the area using a helicopter and K-9 units, the fleeing suspects were located. They complied with the commands from the K-9 dog’s handlers and were taken into custody without a forceful apprehension.
Andre Mario Derrick Young and six juveniles ranging in ages 14-17 – all from the Tampa area – were arrested. Deputies also discovered that both of the vehicles were reported stolen out of the Tampa area.
Young was charged with larceny/grand theft, unarmed burglary of an unoccupied structure, criminal mischief, fleeing/eluding an officer with lights and siren active, resisting an officer without violence and grand theft of a motor vehicle. He was being held on $10,000 bond and is due in court July 13 at 8:30 a.m.