Authorities say that a number of Pennsylvania teenagers who traveled south to Florida for a soccer event tried to make off with greater than $2,000 value of merchandise from a sporting items retailer and now face felony fees for the theft.
Deputies in Polk County, Florida, said that the teenagers had been a part of a youth soccer crew from Pennsylvania that had come to the Sunshine State for a championship youth soccer recreation on Dec. 6.
The day of the sport, the teenagers visited a Dick’s Sporting Items in Davenport.
Surveillance video exhibits two separate teams coming into the shop.
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As one teen purchases an merchandise, his associates are standing elsewhere within the retailer, searching.
Then, the teenager walks over to his associates, who begin putting a number of objects in his Dick’s Sporting Items bag.
In accordance with the Polk County Sheriff’s Workplace, the teenagers “took the bag, handed all factors of sale, and walked out of the shop.”
Three of the teenagers tried to go away the shop with the stolen merchandise, however regulation enforcement was already there to cease them after a supervisor known as 911. The opposite 5 teenagers had been nonetheless inside the shop, the place they had been detained.
Authorities stated one of many teenagers who left the shop had a black backpack crammed with some stolen merchandise, and one other teenager was carrying the Dick’s Sporting Items bag with much more stolen objects.
In complete, they stole $2,296.07 value of merchandise, together with objects like hoodies, beanies, again plates, gloves, lip guards and joggers.
The kids, 5 15-year-olds and three 14-year-olds, had been taken to a juvenile evaluation middle and charged with retail theft over $750 and conspiracy to commit retail theft, each felonies.
As a result of their arrests, they had been unable to take part of their championship recreation.
“These juveniles weren’t from Polk County, they got here right here from out of state for a soccer event, and as an alternative of representing their crew with pleasure, they selected to commit against the law,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated. “Let this be clear: it doesn’t matter when you’re from right here or visiting, when you break the regulation in Polk County, you may be arrested and held accountable.”
