17-year-old drives stolen car to school

Reporter: Michelle Alvarez Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:
File image- Collier County deputy car (CREDIT: WINK News)

A 17-year-old boy is behind bars for grand theft auto.

Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies said a woman noticed her 2021 Volkswagon Atlas SUV was gone around 8 Tuesday morning when she left her house to take her kids to school.

Detectives quickly developed a suspect, a 17-year-old with a history of stealing cars, who lives near the victim. They went to Lely High School where the teenager goes to school. The stolen SUV was in the parking lot.

WINK News spoke to one mother who didn’t want to show her face, “Growing up, there’s always consequences to your actions. I think that’s one of the biggest problems we’re having now is that kids don’t feel like there are any consequences, and they can do whatever they want. Parents are not being parents but being best friends.”

Deputies reviewed the school security video, which showed the suspect driving the victim’s SUV into the school parking lot at 6:46 a.m., parking it and then heading to class.

Lely High School (CREDIT: WINK News)

This is the fourth time since July the teenager has been arrested for stealing a car.

The victim had her car back in time to pick up her kids from school.

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