Three teens were taken into custody by Florida police, after they allegedly stole 46—forty six—cars across three cities, police said on Monday. The arrests followed an apparently hectic effort to track down the thieves.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the suspects—two 17 years olds, one who’s 16—were arrested after they botched an effort to steal a Jaguar SUV out of someone’s garage. When that failed, they attempted to steal a Porsche Cayenne and BMW 5 series at two separate locations in West Boca Raton.
Naturally, when police caught wind, they fled the area on foot and, according to the sheriff’s office, “into the everglades.”
A police helicopter followed the suspects to a canal bank, where they were taken into custody by local officers. Before their arrest, the trio was driving a Chrysler 300, another of the apparently stolen rides.
At police headquarters, the suspects refused to be interviewed before they were hauled off to a juvenile holding facility to be processed.
The sheriff’s office, for whatever reason, didn’t include much about the incredible fact they’d been linked to at least 46 car thefts, and no local media seemed interested in elaborating on their alleged enterprise.
When I reached a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office on Monday, they said there has been “numerous stolen high-end vehicles” reported over the last few months. As such, police believe “these guys are believed to be connected to them,” the spokesperson said.
“What that means is, since they’re not going to willfully tell us ... we’re going to have to go back and link them.” The investigation remains ongoing.
The trio faces charges including burglary of an occupied dwelling, probation violations, and grand theft auto.