‘There is still time to turn your life around’: Hillsborough 14-year-old arrested for 4th time in 16 months

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office arrested a 14-year-old boy Sunday.

Deputies were responding to a call of someone breaking into a car on Crestridge Road in Tampa.

The department said one of the victims tried to confront the person at their car, and they ran away.

“He ends up breaking into another car when our deputies show up to try and hide from them,” said Phil Martello, the assistant chief of communications officer with the sheriff’s office. “When our deputies try and get close to the suspect he flees again, he’s hopping fences.”

The sheriff’s office already had air support in the area. They quickly find the suspect in a canal behind Crestridge Road.

Once arrested, deputies learn the suspect is a 14-year-old boy, whom they have arrested before.

“He’s been arrested four times in the last 16 months,” Martello said. “There’s charges from Grand Theft and he’s in possession of a firearm while he’s doing some of these crimes. So, our team is, he’s no stranger to our team. It’s a time for reflection where it’s like, where did this child go down the wrong path? What’s going on in his personal life? What’s going on with his parents? Are they active? Are they giving him the advice, the support that he needs? This is an opportunity for all parents to talk to their kids. Who are you hanging out with? What are you doing at summer vacation?”

Martello said the teen was released from police custody. Some would ask how soon before he commits another crime.

“There is still time to turn your life around,” Martello said. “Please take advantage of any resources that you can. You know, think before you’re making these actions, you’re messing with people’s personal life, you’re messing with our community safety.”

A resource like Safe & Sound Hillsborough has programs for youth offenders.

They organizations executive director Freddy Barton said often times teens feel they don’t have another path available to them.

“They feel that you know what, everyone’s going to look at me a certain way. So why don’t I act that certain way,” Barton said. “We talk to our kids, and we bring them in from the first day and say you’re more than the worst thing that you’ve ever done. Understand that you can be better today than you were yesterday.”

The organizations is a violence prevention collaborative, partnering with major public agencies, law enforcement, public defenders, the state attorney, the school district and more to look at a public health approach to reducing and preventing violence. They are also a reporting center which is an alternative to confinement for juvenile offenders.

The program offer mentorship, wrap around services to help families of their youth and more. We asked Barton to send this 14-year-old a message as well:

“Kid, right now you are in a bad situation. But you don’t have to make it worse. You need to understand that there are people that care about you. But no one can care more about you than yourself. And if you want to do better, understand that there are people who are here to help you. For all of our kids who are making these choices to pick up guns, to get angry, to be violent, understand, you do not have to do that. There’s another way. You can solve all your issues by opening up and talking to people. And we stand at the ready. Call me, call a trusted individual, call Safe & sound. Call someone that you trust and let us help you,” Barton said.

For more information on Safe & Sound, click here .

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