Four teenagers arrested for stealing van in St. Pete, police say

Four juveniles in a stolen van were arrested after leading police on a pursuit through St. Petersburg, police said. 

On Thursday, before 3 a.m., a St. Pete officer noticed a Toyota van driving without headlights near 83rd Avenue and 8th Street, which is in the Riviera Bay neighborhood.  

The officer lost sight of the van and requested extra units in case the passengers were committing vehicle burglaries, according to a media release. One officer tried to make a traffic stop and the van fled. The officer didn’t pursue it.

Later in the morning, the van turned into a church at 77th Avenue North and 16th Street. St. Pete police said one officer turned into the parking lot and witnessed the vehicle drive over several parking stops and into a field before doing a U-turn and heading directly for the cruiser. The van came within several feet of striking the officer’s patrol car. A pursuit started.

The van finally stopped after it turned down a cul-de-sac in the area of 94th Avenue North and 1st Street, St. Petersburg police say. Four teenagers were taken into custody. The driver was a 15-year-old girl, and the passengers included two 16-year-old girls and a 16-year-old boy. All are facing charges including burglary. 

There were no crashes, injuries or damages during the incident, police say.