A late-night joyride in a stolen car turned into a brief but chaotic chase through a Tampa neighborhood on Monday, ending with two 16-year-olds in handcuffs, according to deputies.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says the trouble started around 9:07 p.m., when a vehicle was reported stolen near Camden Field Parkway and South 78th Street. A short time later, the car slammed into a fence near Canterbury Lake Road, and the people inside bolted on foot. Deputies set up a perimeter in the area and soon detained two juveniles nearby.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, the teens, identified as 16-year-olds Anthony Brown and Derrick Bennett, were seen getting into the stolen vehicle and taking off from the area. Deputies say the car sped through roadways and into a residential neighborhood before crashing. The agency’s Aviation Unit later spotted Bennett hiding behind a vehicle in a nearby front yard, where deputies moved in and arrested him. Brown was taken into custody at a nearby residence.
Both juveniles are facing trespass-related violations and a charge of resisting an officer without violence, according to the sheriff’s office. Detectives are still reviewing evidence, and the agency says additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues.
How authorities tracked the suspects
In this case, it was the combination of eyes in the sky and boots on the ground that closed the distance. Aviation units routinely work alongside patrol deputies in Hillsborough County during pursuits, and that coordination helped lead deputies to Bennett and Brown after they ran from the crash scene.
Auto theft remains a persistent concern for law enforcement across Florida. Data from the NICB shows shifting patterns in vehicle theft statewide, while local reporting has documented multiple previous arrests of juveniles tied to vehicle-related crimes around the Tampa Bay area, coverage that has included ABC Action News.
What happens next
For Brown and Bennett, the case now moves into Florida’s juvenile justice system. After a juvenile is arrested, intake assessments, detention hearings, and review by prosecutors determine whether formal petitions are filed in court, how the case proceeds, and what consequences might follow. The State Attorney, 2nd Judicial Circuit outlines how juveniles are processed after arrest, from that first screening to potential court appearances.
