- April 18, 2024
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Four teens were arrested after they pried open a lattice skirt underneath a home's front porch in the Trails and crawled inside with the intention to hide from police officers who had spotted the group walking in suspicious garments along the road on Dec. 21.
The case was one of several that was discussed at the Jan. 10th Crimeview meeting by the Ormond Beach Police Department, which gave an update on cases and crime data collected between Dec. 12-31. Police suspect the four teens, ages 14-16, broke into several cars in the Trails, and believe they also stole a vehicle the night of their arrest, due to police finding the car's key the crawlspace underneath the porch the juveniles hid in. All four teens attend Mainland High School.
Police found the teens shortly after responding to a 2:17 a.m. call regarding the stolen vehicle, a 2001 Toyota 4Runner. The owner of the SUV told officers the vehicle had been stolen from her driveway within an hour, and police began to canvass the neighborhood. Just 11 minutes later, a police officer saw the four teens, who were wearing gloves and clothing to conceal their faces, walking along Springwood Trail.
At the sight of the officer, the teens fled through a home's backyard, jumping a six-foot privacy fence before breaking into the underneath a house's front porch on the first block of Cobblestone Trail. All four were arrested on burglary and loitering charges.
After given consent to question the teens by their parents, one of them admitted to as many as eight car burglaries. Another told police he was not involved at all and only ran from the officer because he was "out past curfew." One of the four invoked her right to remain silent. Property found by police on the teens lead them to believe the group has been involved in past car burglaries in the area.
