A 15-year-old boy, caught up in the deadly outcomes of a car chase in Martin County, is now behind bars, facing a slew of felony charges. After evading a crash that took the lives of three teens, the Boynton Beach teen was arrested in Palm Beach County with close coordination between the county sheriffs.
Arrested on Friday, the teen got slapped with two counts of possession of stolen credit cards and two counts of possession of personal identification information — all felonies accelerated to second-degree status by his wearing of a ski mask during the alleged crimes, according to a CBS12 report. Adding to his charges is one count of resisting arrest without violence.
The teen is reportedly one of two survivors from the gut-wrenching crash that occurred early Tuesday when deputies spotted the stolen Mazda. In an effort to stop the speeding vehicle, deputies employed a tire deflation device which sent the car careening into the St. Lucie River, detailed Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, as previously reported by CBS12. Survived by the 15-year-old, the vehicle became a tomb for Geovany Alexis, 18; Jerry Choisy, 19; and Marcus Griffin, 17.
After recovery efforts, all victims hailed from Lake Worth Beach—their bodies pulled from the unfortunate confines of the submerged Mazda, reported stolen out of Boynton Beach. Holding onto two credit cards belonging to the stolen vehicle's owner, the targeted teen, found days before sunrise after the crash had calmed, found himself ensnared in law's firm grasp, according to the Palm Beach Post.
While the 15-year-old is now detained, law enforcement continue to piece together the fragments of that night's events. Martin County's chief deputy, John Budensiek, in an interview with the Palm Beach Post, explained their ongoing efforts to trace the group's actions before the crash. An 18-year-old who also emerged from the wreck alive was taken into custody and subsequently released. The Sheriff has not concluded whether the teens in the crash were connected to other car thefts and a burglary reported in the same area on the same night.
