A teen car thief was apprehended in The Villages after a helicopter helped corner him at the conclusion of a stolen car chase.
The 16-old-old was taken into custody at about 5 a.m. Thursday after fleeing into a neighborhood in the Village of Pine Ridge, in the Fruitland Park section of The Villages.
The 16-year-old, who was wearing a white hoodie, had tried to hide at a home at the Leo Villas, where he was ultimately taken into custody.
He and another 16-year-old stole a vehicle from the Carmendy Square Apartments in Lady Lake, where one of the juveniles lives. They fled in the car from the apartment complex and nearly hit a woman walking her dog, according to arrest reports from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Fruitland Park Police Department. The teens were initially pursued by a Lady Lake Police Department officer. However, the stolen car sped to 65 miles per hour in a 25 mph residential zone and the officer ceased his pursuit, per department policy.
The stolen car nearly hit a Fruitland Park police officer’s squad car and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office joined in the pursuit. Deputies set up stop sticks on Micro Racetrack Road, successfully puncturing the car’s tires. Even with the flattened tires, the vehicle continued eastbound on County Road 466A. The vehicle eventually came to a stop and the teens fled on foot.
One of the teens “jumped a fence” and made his way to the Villager’s home in the Leo Villas, where he tried to hide. He took off again when a female homeowner spotted him in a chair on her front porch. The homeowner, who had been sleeping, was aware of a helicopter circling overhead and put the pieces together. The teen was quickly apprehended by law enforcement. He was in possession of a ski mask, latex gloves and a flat-head screwdriver.
The other teen was apprehended after entering the shop area of another home, located outside of The Villages.
Both teens are facing numerous charges.
Last week, a vehicle was stolen from Kohl’s at Lady Lake Crossing. The vehicle was taken into Marion County where deputies from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office began chasing it as it headed back toward Lady Lake. A helicopter was also used in that chase. The tires were spiked and two suspects were arrested near the Del Mar Gate in The Villages. Those two are facing charges as a result of the chase.
