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WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Three teens were arrested for stealing an SUV and attempting to evade deputies in Winter Haven over the weekend, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
The backstory:
The 2020 GMC Terrain was reported stolen on Saturday morning and later that evening, deputies were alerted that the SUV was heading west down Winter Lake Rd. from US Hwy. 17.
The three teens parked at a Circle K store and a deputy saw two teens approaching the SUV. When they spotted the deputy parked nearby, they started making hand gestures to the driver and walked away.
As the third teen drove away, a responding helicopter and other deputies were able to track down the SUV a mile away on Spirit Lake Rd., arresting the teen without incident.
A responding Lieutenant on duty pulled up to Circle K and the other two teens ran. Another deputy arrived, and they were both taken into custody.
The teens admitted to investigators that they had marijuana and were planning to smoke it later that night. Two of them had black masks on to conceal their identities.
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What they're saying:
Sheriff Grady Judd says that these teens are all facing serious charges.
"I'm very proud of my team for swiftly apprehending these juvenile felons before they could commit any more crimes in the county. While they are all facing serious charges, there is still time for them to make better decisions and turn their lives around. We hope that they heed that advice," Judd said.
Deputies located the marijuana and all three were taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center. The stolen SUV was returned to its owner.
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The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.