Teens Arrested After Multi-Vehicle Theft and Crash in Huron County

Photo byHuron County Sheriff

Huron County, MI – Two teenage boys, aged 15 and 16, were apprehended following a series of vehicle thefts and a crash on Sunday, the 28th. At 10:43 AM, Huron Central Dispatch received a 911 call reporting a single-vehicle injury crash at the intersection of M53 and Buschlen Rd. The caller indicated that the occupants of the vehicle had fled the scene on foot.

A Bad Axe City Police Officer, responding to the call, located the two male suspects running from the scene. The teens admitted they were unharmed and confessed to stealing the crashed vehicle earlier from a McLaren Thumb parking lot in Colfax Township. They were found in possession of two stolen Co2 BB pistols and related accessories.

Emergency personnel, including the Central Huron Ambulance and the Bad Axe Officer, escorted the teens to McLaren Thumb for medical evaluation. During this process, it was discovered that the teens had abandoned another stolen vehicle, a 2018 Hyundai Elantra from Sault Ste. Marie, in the hospital's back parking lot.

Further investigation revealed that the teens had been recently placed in a foster home in Sault Ste. Marie from the Detroit area. Discontent with their situation, they stole the Elantra on the 27th and headed south. Using skills learned from the internet, they hotwired the vehicle and used found money, along with funds from at least one good samaritan, to buy gas.

Arriving in Bad Axe early on the 28th, the teens stole the Co2 BB pistols from a Meijer store. They then abandoned the Elantra at McLaren Thumb, shooting out its windows with the BB pistols before stealing a 2019 Kia Soul from another parking lot. After breaking a window to gain entry, they hotwired the Kia and headed north on M53.

As they approached the Buschlen Rd. intersection, the driver, distracted by broken glass on the floor, lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll several times and hit a power pole. The teens attempted to flee the scene but were quickly apprehended by the Bad Axe Officer.

Following their hospital release, the teens cooperated with deputies to piece together the sequence of events. They were eventually returned to their foster home in Sault Ste. Marie. The Huron County Prosecutor’s Office has received a warrant request seeking charges including felony vehicle theft, larceny, malicious destruction of property, and leaving the scene of an accident. Additional vehicle theft charges from Chippewa County authorities are also anticipated.

The Bad Axe Fire Department provided assistance at the crash scene. Sheriff Kelly Hanson emphasized the ongoing nature of the investigation and the coordination between county and local authorities.

For more information, contact the Huron County Sheriff’s Office.