Utah
Utah teens arrested for allegedly stealing cars and driving them into stores
SALT LAKE CITY — Two Utah juveniles are now in custody accused of stealing vehicles they weren’t even old enough to drive and ramming them into stores to rob them. The suspects’ identities aren’t being released due to their age. “… these are juveniles, under the age of 18.
I mean anywhere from middle school to high school age,” stated Sergeant Aymee Race with the Unified Police Department.
A little over a week ago, detectives say the suspects drove into the T-Mobile store in Mill Creek in the middle of the night, jumped out, and attempted to grab merchandise. They were unsuccessful however and ran away.
A few days later, police say the same suspects committed a successful drive-through, smash, and grab at another cell phone store in Kearns.
Unified Police Detectives say that the suspects never covered their faces and investigators were able to learn from security cameras who they were and went to their homes and arrested the two juveniles.
“And we were able to determine not only in Salt Lake County, Utah County, these individuals have gone around, crashing into businesses and stealing large, high priced items and damaging businesses,” Sgt. Race told FOX 13 News.
According to police, the vehicles used in these smash-and-grab crimes were stolen and they believe the suspects have been doing this for a while all across the Wasatch Front. Detectives in the Metro Gang Unit say they have also identified the people in custody as being documented gang members.
Police are still searching for additional suspects, both male and female, and anyone with information is asked to call Unified Police at 801-840-4000.