13-Year-Old Girl's Joy Ride Ends in Crash; Thieves Steal Vehicle Wheels, Tires

The following is a recap of recent crime news from the :

Teens' joy ride ends in crash

Troy Police officers responded to a report of a traffic accident in the 2000 block of Palmetto on May 8. Upon arriving, officers discovered four teenage girls standing near a vehicle that had struck a tree.

All four teens said they were in the car at the time of the crash, according to a media release from the department; they sustained minor injuries that did not require hospitalization. The 17-year-old front-seat passenger from Warren admitted to taking the keys to her friend's car while her friend was asleep, then taking the car for a drive, according to the release.

The 17-year-old girl then let a 13-year-old girl drive the car for "practice," according to the release; the 13-year-old was driving when the car struck the tree.

The 17-year-old was cited for allowing an unlicensed driver to operate a motor vehicle, and the 13-year-old was cited for driving without a license.

Copper stolen from businesses

A manager at reported on May 7 that a piece of copper piping had been stolen from the outside of the building during the winter. An employee at also reported Wednesday that somone had stolen a large copper water backflow falve from the exterior of the restaurant over the winter.

A catalytic converter was also cut from a vehicle parked at Wednesday afternoon.

Wheels, tires taken from several vehicles overnight

A homeowner in the 1000 block of Provincial reported Wednesday morning that someone had removed all four wheel covers from his vehicle and stolen his wallet. Both passenger side windows were smashed, and the vehicle had been rifled through.

A vehicle owner in the 3000 block of Old Creek reported Wednesday morning that someone had smashed the passenger side window of his Cadillac Escalade and stolen a lug nut key and all four wheel cover caps.

A vehicle owner on the 3000 block of Edgemont reported Wednesday morning that someone had smashed the passenger side rear window of his Cadillac Escalade and stolen a wheel lock tool. The tool was then used to remove and steal all four wheels and tires from the vehicle.

For questions about this report, email Troy Patch editor Jen Anesi at jen.anesi@patch.com.