Four teens are facing charges, accused of breaking into a deputy’s patrol car and stealing a gun.
Action News Jax is not naming the suspects or showing their full mugshots because of their ages, which range from 14 to 16 years old.
We first brought you the story on Labor Day, when the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office surrounded a Southside home on Sandusky Avenue with weapons drawn.
#UPDATE: We now know four teens were arrested as a result of this Labor Day stand-off. They're accused of breaking into a St. Johns Sheriff's Office patrol car and stealing an AR-15 and ammo. I'll have the latest on the investigation at 5. @ActionNewsJax https://t.co/f7INRmu33B
— Robert Grant (@RobertANJax) September 16, 2021
It took 10 days for nearly 100 pages of police reports to be released. According to those new reports, we learned the teens were inside a home.
Police have since tied them to nine different car burglaries, including a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office patrol car that had its back window busted. A rifle, 1,000 rounds of ammo and tactical gear were also stolen from the SUV.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office shared a statement regarding the break-in, stating that the suspects caused considerable damage to the unmarked patrol car.
They also stated all the stolen items were recovered except a gas mask and an agency radio.
Here is the SJSO full statement regarding the incident:
On September 6th, a Deputy Sheriff with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office was the victim of a car burglary at their place of residence in Duval County. The unmarked vehicle was both locked and alarmed. The suspect(s) in this incident took time and utilized tremendous force to penetrate multiple layers of security, causing considerable damage to the vehicle.
All stolen items were immediately recovered with the exception of an agency radio and gas mask.
Despite our best efforts, we too occasionally fall victim to a crime. We will be reviewing this incident and evaluating current practices and procedures to do our best that a situation like this does not occur again.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for their prompt response in solving this crime and recovering our sensitive items.
Action News Jax’s Robert Grant is talking to neighbors about what they saw happen before the arrests were made and the response from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, on CBS47 and FOX30 Action News Jax at 10 and 11.
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