Teens in custody after stealing boat, hiding in dense Florida woods for hours, deputies say
2 teen boys arrested after allegedly stealing boat, hiding from deputies
A boat theft quickly turned into a hours long search for the two teen suspects. The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office used marine units, K9 teams, and a helicopter to track down a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old. Deputies found the teens inside a culvert near an elementary school.
SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. - A boat theft quickly turned into an hours-long search for the two teen suspects.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office used marine units, K9 teams and a helicopter to track down a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old accused of stealing a boat near Lake Panasoffkee.
After hours of searching through a densely wooded area, the teens were found near an elementary school.
Owner: Boat stolen by person in red ski mask
What we know:
Boat owner Gage Parrott says he potted a stranger in his backyard when he got home on Tuesday.
"I saw a guy walking around my boat with a red ski mask," Parrott said. "I didn't know why he was there, what his intentions were. I honestly wanted to jump in and obviously stop him, but I had no idea if he had a gun."
Parrott watched from a distance as he says the masked person struggled to turn the boat on.
After about 10 minutes, the suspect got the engine running and began driving very slowly down the river. Because of the mask, Parrott says he was unable to see the person's face.
Search for teens through woods
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office's marine unit, helicopter and K9 teams combined their efforts to search for the teen suspects.
Parrott said his stepdad even got involved, jumping onto his airboat to look for the stolen vessel. He managed to find the suspects and dropped a GPS pin to law enforcement.
According to deputies, the teen suspects fled into a densely wooded area.
2 teens arrested
After several hours of searching and multiple tips, deputies ultimately found the 14-year-old and 17-year-old suspects near an elementary school.
The teenagers had crawled through a retention ditch and hid in a culvert.
Deputies surrounded the pipe and pulled both teens out of the culvert, taking them into custody.
Both teens are charged with:
- Grand Theft: Valued between $5,000 and $10,000
- Trespassing on School Grounds
- Resisting an Officer: Obstruction without violence
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.