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Base beefs up security after teens crash gate

By TIMES STAFF WRITER
Published September 23, 2006

The military made security changes to MacDill Air Force Base almost immediately after two teenagers in a stolen car breezed past gate guards early Wednesday morning, according to a base spokesman.

"We have implemented some enhanced security measures at the gate, it's safe to say," said base spokesman Larry van der Oord.

Lt. Van der Oord declined to go into specifics about the added measures, citing security concerns.

He said an internal investigation of the matter has not been completed. At first, officials said it would probably take a couple of days, but they now say it might not be finished until next week. One topic that will be examined is whether communication between police and the base can be improved.

About 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, Tampa police tried to stop a white Chrysler speeding near Dale Mabry Highway and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

When the car didn't stop for police, officers radioed an alert for the car. Other officers spotted it heading south on Dale Mabry, police say. The car blew through MacDill's front gate, past military guards.

Police arrested Davaraye Mungin and Damian Bowie, both 16, after Mungin crashed the car into a police patrol car, said police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.

Mungin is being held at a juvenile detention facility for 21 days, said police spokesman Larry McKinnon. Bowie was booked into a juvenile assessment center at 6:43 a.m. Wednesday and released a few hours later at 10:25 a.m., she said.

Attempts to reach the teens and their families were unsuccessful.

Van der Oord said the incident is being taken seriously, but he stressed that military officials are certain the base is well secured.

"We don't want to lose sight of the big picture here," he said. "Even though these guys were able to gain access to the base, they were captured quickly."

[Last modified September 23, 2006, 01:09:09]