SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Two teenagers were arrested after breaking into and trying to steal a car from a BMW dealership, deputies said.
Payton Robinson, 18, of Tampa, and a 16-year-old Orlando girl were seen by a Sarasota County deputy in a gray Dodge Charger with its lights off speeding down Clark Road around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning.
While the deputy followed the teens in the car, the department received a 911 call regarding three suspects breaking into and trying to steal a white Dodge Charger from a BMW dealership.
The vehicle pursuit ended due to the high speed, but shortly after, a crash matching the description of the gray Charger was reported on I-75, just north of Clark Road, according to the sheriff’s office.
The caller said they saw a few suspects flee the scene of the crash. But with the help of Sarasota police and a K-9, two of the three suspects were caught.
The teens were arrested on charges of attempted grand theft of a motor vehicle. The 16-year-old girl who is the owner of the gray Charger also violated her probation from a previous robbery.
The department said Dodge Challengers and Chargers have been a target for auto thefts due to the models no longer being manufactured, making their parts more valuable.
The investigation is ongoing.