Teen Vehicle Burglar Tried To Hide In Creek: Manatee County Sheriff

BRADENTON, FL — A teenage vehicle burglar tried to hide from a truck’s owner and deputies by jumping into a Bradenton creek, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a news release.

Deputies responded to the area of 28th Avenue W. and 14th Street W., where three males were trying to get into unlocked cars, on Monday around 3 a.m.

The owner of one vehicle woke up and saw them rummaging through his pickup truck, the sheriff’s office said. He called a neighbor for help, and the two men shouted at the suspects as they ran from the area.

One suspect tried to hide in the tall grass before jumping into the nearby Cedar Hammock Creek.

The victim and his neighbor used flashlights to keep the suspects in sight until deputies arrived, the sheriff’s office said.

Deputies saw one suspect trying to conceal himself under some bushes along the creek's edge.

After a brief standoff, the suspect, later identified as a 14-year-old boy, complied with the deputies’ commands to surrender, and climbed out of the water. He was taken into custody, the sheriff’s office said.

He was charged with unoccupied conveyance, a third-degree felony.

While the sheriff’s office named the suspect, it’s Patch policy not to name minors accused of crimes unless they’re charged as an adult. It’s isn’t known whether the teen was charged as a juvenile or an adult.

Shortly after his arrest, another 14-year-old boy, who was soaked and shivering, was found a few blocks away, the agency said. He was detained and taken to a local hospital for treatment of a cut on his leg, which likely happened while running from the scene and hiding in the creek.

Detectives are still reviewing evidence, and this second suspect hasn't been arrested yet.

The third suspect remains at large, and detectives are investigating multiple vehicle burglaries from the previous weekend. It’s unclear if those cases are related, deputies said.