Two teenagers were arrested in Parrish, Florida, after a wild sequence involving a stolen car and a desperate attempt to swim across the Manatee River to escape law enforcement. The incident began when a white Toyota Camry, reported stolen by the Largo Police Department, was spotted by Manatee County sheriff’s deputies at a Sonic Drive-In.
Chase and Rescue
When deputies tried to pull the vehicle over, the driver hopped a concrete median into a nearby neighborhood. Law enforcement did not pursue the vehicle, which was later found abandoned. Deputies then tracked the suspects as they ran toward the Manatee River and jumped in. One teenager began to struggle, prompting deputies to launch a small boat to rescue them, while a crew from the North River Fire District arrived with a second boat to pull the other suspect from the water.
During detective interviews, one teen reportedly confessed to stealing the car in Largo and breaking into multiple other vehicles in the area. Both teens face charges of possession of a stolen vehicle, fleeing to elude, trespassing in a conveyance, and resisting an officer without violence.
Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
