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Florida child steals family car, flips it in street while driving: Police

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Published  June 16, 2025 11:58pm EDT
News
FOX 35 Orlando
Child flips stolen car in Palm Bay

Child flips stolen car in Palm Bay

FOX 35's Esther Bower learns more after a child allegedly flipped a stolen car in Palm Bay, according to police.

The Brief

    • A child was cited by Palm Bay police for stealing a car and flipping it upside down while driving in the street.
    • The road where the accident happened is still banged up, and one neighbor is paying thousands to fix her property because of damages from the accident.

PALM BAY, Fla. - Earlier this month, Palm Bay police cited a 14-year-old child for allegedly stealing their family’s car and crashing it on Medea Avenue, flipping the vehicle in the process.

What we know:

A child was cited by Palm Bay police for allegedly stealing the family car, driving it and flipping it in a neighborhood earlier this month on Medea Avenue. 

One neighbor is still dealing with damage since her trailer was hit while the child was driving the car. She says the parent reported the car as stolen so insurance won’t kick in. 

That family is paying thousands out of pocket to fix the trailer. The parents of the 14-year-old child were not cited by law enforcement, but residents are worried about safety, saying someone could have been hit or worse. They’re sharing what happened to warn other parents now that kids are out of school and want to make sure kids are getting appropriate help to prevent dangerous situations.

What we don't know:

It’s unclear how fast the child was driving or how long they were behind the wheel before the flip.

What they're saying:

Neighbors say the community is very quiet, and this accident was shocking.

"For a child to take a car and steal a car and drive it in the community, that means there are some other underlying issues," said Tamara Harris, who’s a mental health professional and a huge advocate for early intervention with children.

"This could have been a lot worse than it was. Thankfully, it wasn’t," said Dustin Decibus who heard tires screeching and saw the flipped car.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: FOX 35's Reporter Esther Bower met neighbors on the street of the accident on June 16, 2025. She gathered information from Palm Bay police when the crash was first reported. She attempted to speak with the child's family but was unable to connect.

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