When a teenager is charged with a crime, it can be a particularly alarming situation for the accused and their family. Recently, a 13-year-old Pennsylvania boy was charged on several counts for a crime spree he allegedly went on in search of illegal drugs. The young teenager was already facing allegations for theft of his grandmother’s vehicle when he met up with a couple of friends to search for another vehicle.
The three teens allegedly stole a 2002 Ford Explorer from the pastor a nearby church. State Troopers report that the vehicle was intentionally crashed into a portable toilet at a nearby community center. The vehicle also took down two residents’ mailboxes.
The teen allegedly stopped to steal a license plate off of a parked Mercury Sable. The teenage boy swapped the stolen license plate for the one on the Explorer in an attempt to avoid the police. Police report that the teen later stopped at a Shell gas station, which he then attempted to break into. The attempts were unsuccessful, and he then drove to another city to obtain illegal drugs. However, the teens The teens have not been charged with drug possession because the no drugs were found on them. The 13-year-old is, however, facing several other charges.
Police report that they located the three teens and found evidence linking them to another crime involving ice cream containers that had been stolen earlier that month. Police suspect that the teen broke into the ice cream shop and stole the containers.
The young teen is currently being charge in 10 criminal cases and will likely have more charges coming. Most of the charges involve theft or similar crimes. The teen has not been charged with any violent crimes. When a juvenile is charged with a crime, there are special circumstances that need to be considered to protect the rights of the accused. A family should take advantage of available resources in order to protect the presumption of innocence on the part of the juvenile in the case.
Source: Altoona Mirror, “Police: 13-year-old heads on crime spree,” Ryan Brown, June 1, 2013
