Two boys suspected in rash of car thefts

By AMY HERDY

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 7, 2000

UNIVERSITY NORTH -- Deputies have charged two teenage boys with breaking into eight cars in the University area and say they may be connected to several other similar crimes.

Sgt. Fred Asteasuainzarra of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said a witness saw the two youths inside the witness' car Tuesday shortly after 6 a.m. in the 13000 block of N 50th Street.

The witness confronted the teens, Asteasuainzarra said, and one of them fled into some nearby woods, while the other stayed in the car.

After finding the teen who fled, deputies also found he had property that belonged to nearby cars that had been broken into, authorities say.

Asteasuainzarra said the two teens, ages 14 and 16, both were students at King High School.

Deputies charged the pair with eight counts of auto burglary, three counts of grand theft and five counts of petty theft.

They might be connected to some of the three dozen auto burglaries committed in the University area last week, Asteasuainzarra said.

"We are looking into it," he said.

Amy Herdy can be reached at (813) 226-3474 or herdy@sptimes.com.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.