FORT PIERCE, Fla. – Six South Florida teenagers are accused of stealing a man's life savings and blowing it on jewelry, cars and even gold teeth.
St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said Monday that Walter Walker, 16, and five other teens, ages 14 and 15, drove to the 200 block of Marina Drive on North Hutchinson Island in April and burglarized a home, stealing a 2014 Porsche Cayman as they left.
Recommended Videos
"It's clear through the interviews with these thugs that they intentionally targeted our community, searched out a house in an affluent neighborhood and stole their life savings," Mascara said.
Mascara said the Fort Lauderdale teens stole a safe with more than $200,000 in cash inside it and two handguns from the home.
The safe was found empty later that day, and the car was found days later in Delray Beach.
"Over the course of the last two months, the thorough work of our detectives and crime scene technicians (has) led us to identify these six individuals and their extensive history of similar crimes throughout the South Florida region,” Mascara said. “The investigation would not have been such a success without the teamwork of law enforcement from the Broward Sheriff's Office, Delray Beach police and Fort Lauderdale police all trying to track and arrest this group of thieves."
According to arrest affidavits, the teens used the stolen cash to buy gold chains, a Dodge Challenger Hellcat, a Mercedes-Benz C300 and gold teeth for a 15-year-old suspect.
Mascara said the teens were already in custody on other charges. He said all but one 14-year-old confessed to the St. Lucie County burglary.
The teens face multiple charges, including grand theft.