AAU basketball coach, 5 players arrested after Polk County 7-Eleven theft: PCSO
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
FOUR CORNERS, Fla. - Five teenagers and a coach visiting the Orlando area for an AAU basketball tournament were arrested after investigators say the teens stole items from a Polk County convenience store and their coach lied to detectives during the investigation.
Polk County 7-Eleven theft
The backstory:
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the theft happened around 4:10 a.m. on Thursday at the 7-Eleven located at 3141 Ronald Reagan Pkwy., near the Four Corners area.
Deputies say the five teens, who are members of Run it Up, an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)-affiliated travel basketball program from the Washington, D.C., area, hid several items before leaving the store without paying.
According to investigators, the stolen merchandise included Doritos, gummies, Starburst Minis, a Big Mama sausage, lemonade, and grape and orange Slurpees. The total value of the stolen items was $37.60.
Store employees confronted the group, but the teens left the store, deputies said.
Investigation at AAU players' vacation rental
What we know:
Deputies located three of the suspects near the entrance to Solterra Resorts, where the team was staying in a vacation rental less than a mile from the store.
Investigators say the teens had put the stolen merchandise into a backpack and hidden it in nearby bushes.
Detectives later contacted the team's coach, Malik Harvey, 27, of Bryans Road, Maryland, and asked whether he could identify the two other teens seen on surveillance video.
According to the sheriff's office, Harvey told detectives he did not know who the remaining two teens were.
Later that morning, detectives found the other two teens, who identified Harvey as their coach. Investigators said Harvey later admitted he lied to protect the teens.
Polk Sheriff Grady Judd response
What they're saying:
"We welcome anyone who wants to visit or stay in Polk County on vacation. But people need to realize that while you might be able to get away with crimes and foolishness where you live, it won't fly around here. If you steal in Polk County, we're going to send you home with a commemorative mug shot from the Polk County Jail," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
AAU coach, players arrested
Dig deeper:
Each of the five teenagers face charges of:
- Conspiracy to commit retail theft (third-degree felony)
- Tampering with evidence (third-degree felony)
- Petit theft (misdemeanor)
- Violation of the Polk County juvenile curfew ordinance (misdemeanor)
Harvey was arrested on charges of:
- Child neglect (third-degree felony)
- Contributing to the delinquency of a minor (misdemeanor)
- Accessory after the fact (misdemeanor)
- Resisting without violence (misdemeanor)
According to the sheriff's office, Harvey works for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services at the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center, where he assists and mentors young people. Investigators said the basketball trip was not connected to his employment.
The teens, who are not being named due to their ages, were preparing to play in the Puma NXTPro basketball tournament this weekend at the Orange County Convention Center.
What we don't know:
The sheriff's office did not say if the team forfeited its participation in the tournament following the arrests.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.