LAUREL, Del. - The Laurel Police Department arrested four teens last week after finding them allegedly driving in a car stolen from a dealership in Selbyville.
Police say just after 3 a.m. on Thursday, August 10th, an officer spotted a suspicious vehicle in the lot of The Car Store on Sussex Highway while the business was closed. The officer watched the car leave the business as it began driving erratically on the highway. Once additional officers joined for backup, police stopped the car near Gordy Road.
Four teenagers were found in the car, according to police, none of them the registered owner. The teens were arrested and police were able to contact the car’s owner in Maryland. The owner did not know any of the four teens and told police they had left their car at a Selbyville dealership for service.
Selbyville police were contacted and arrived at the dealership. There, officers found the suspects had allegedly tampered with various vehicles before stealing a Kia Optima. Police say the suspects then drove the first Kia Optima back to the dealership and stole another Kia Optima, the same one pulled over in Laurel.
The driver of the allegedly stolen vehicle was identified as a 15-year old from Berlin, MD. The passengers were identified as a 14-year-old, 15-year-old, and a 16-year-old, all three from Greenwood, DE.
The Laurel Police Department charged the four suspects with Receiving Stolen Property Over $1500, a Class G Felony. The driver was also charged with Driving without a Valid License and Failure to Maintain a Single Lane.
Further investigation led police to charge both the Berlin and Greenwood 15-year-olds with the following:
-Possession of Burglar Tools (Class F Felony)
-Theft of Motor Vehicle x2 (Class G Felony)
-Conspiracy 2nd Degree (Class G Felony)
-Criminal Mischief $1000-$5000 x3 (Class A Misdemeanor)
-Criminal Trespass 3rd Degree x3 (Violation)
All four suspects were released to their guardians on their own recognizance pending arraignment in Sussex County Family Court.
