Teen accused of stealing vehicle from Cape Coral driveway

Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:

A 16-year-old with a history of stealing cars has been arrested after allegedly stealing a vehicle from a Cape Coral driveway.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, on Sept. 30, officers responded to a vehicle theft in Southeast Cape Coral.

The victim discovered their white 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe missing from their driveway after it was last seen at midnight.

The vehicle had been left unlocked with the keys inside, and the theft was reportedly linked to reckless driving reports earlier that morning in Cape Coral. 

Detectives later connected the vehicle to a 16-year-old with a history of prior arrests.

On the same day the Santa Fe was stolen, a property crimes detective recognized and observed the teen driving erratically in it.

The teen swerved to avoid a collision and proceeded to a parking lot off Santa Barbara Boulevard. 

Shortly after, the vehicle was located by the Fort Myers Police Department, where the teen, under the influence of alcohol, was found passed out behind the wheel.

FMPD officers arrested the teen and charged him with multiple offenses, including driving under the influence, giving false information to law enforcement and driving without a license.

The stolen vehicle was towed and later confirmed to be the same Santa Fe reported missing in Cape Coral.

The teen was also connected to three other stolen vehicle cases. 

On Nov. 25, police said he stole a 2006 Ford Freestyle from a driveway in Cape Coral. The vehicle was left unlocked with a hidden spare key. 

On Nov. 30, he stole a 2025 red Mazda CX-90 from a Wawa in Cape Coral. The vehicle was left running and unattended. Surveillance footage caught the teen in the act, police allege.

On Sunday, he stole a 2018 Honda CR-V. The vehicle owner allowed him to drive the car, and it was stolen by him later that night.

The car was later recovered, but multiple items were stolen from inside the vehicle. 

He’s being charged with four counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle.

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