x
Breaking News
More () »

We asked 123 young people in prison...WHY?

Was there something that could have stopped them? Many of them said yes.

Jennifer Titus

Published: 1:48 PM PST February 24, 2018
Updated: 12:36 PM PDT April 27, 2018

It was the early morning hours of March 31, 2016, when police say three teenage girls were killed after a stolen car they were in drove into a pond in Pinellas County.

Throughout the day, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri would speak about the tragic incident but also mention that the three girls who passed away all had criminal histories.

He mentioned then that juvenile crime, especially felonies that included auto theft, was on the rise.

Since that day, every day young people continue to commit crimes.

On August 10, 2017, a 17-year-old with multiple prior felonies was arrested again for burglary in Winter Haven. The teen’s criminal history dated back to when he was 10 years old.

On November 30, four teens were arrested in St. Pete after they stole an SUV and hit another car, sending the driver of that vehicle to the hospital.

And earlier this month, several juveniles were arrested overnight in a stolen car. The driver of that vehicle was just 15 years old.

Before You Leave, Check This Out