It’s always troubling to hear of teenagers committing serious crimes, especially when such actions have the potential to set a long-term precedence at such an early age. Most youth involved in criminal activity don’t realize just how serious their crimes are and what the potential consequences can be. They often don’t realize that their actions could actually land them in prison.
We see an example of this in a story out of Buckeye, Arizona earlier this month. It all started when someone called the local police to report that his iPad had been stolen from his car while it was parked at an equestrian center in the Buckeye area. The victim of the crime was able to activate an app that traced the location of his missing iPad to a nearby trailer space.
About this same time, other calls began to pour in to the police department from people in the same area reporting stolen items from their cars as well. When police arrived at the trailer to look for the missing iPad, they came in contact with a 19-year-old male who eventually allowed the police to search his home. Not only were police able to recover the iPad, but also an estimated $2500 in stolen items including wallets, purses, prescription drugs and alcohol.
The 19-year-old man eventually admitted to “car hopping,” a term used to describe a situation where multiple vehicles in the same location are broken into over a short period of time. In this case, 5 vehicles were broken into and robbed. The suspect was arrested and is now facing 10 counts of theft and burglary.
This is just one of many car hopping stories surfacing all across the state and the country. Many of the suspects in these crimes are teenagers who target parking lots and neighborhoods where cars are parked on the street. They simple go from car to car checking for those that are unlocked and then grab anything they can get their hands on.
These teenagers have no idea how serious their crimes are and how they will impact the rest of their lives. Depending on the items that are stolen, teenagers can face charges such as theft, criminal damages, breaking and entering and even armed robbery if weapons are involved.
Not only are the punishments for such crimes harsh, but they also threaten to ruin a teenager’s prospect for a normal life. Between the time spent in jail and appearing in court, the juvenile can find it very difficult to complete school, which sets them up for a rough future.
It’s important that any juvenile facing any criminal charges works closely with an attorney. An experienced juvenile criminal attorney like Charlie Naegle will stand in the corner of the accused and act as both expert and advocate for his client. This can help when it comes to having charges dropped or penalties reduced.
For more information on how Charlie Naegle can help you or your child facing criminal charges, call 480-378-9000 and schedule your free consultation today.