A 16-year-old was arrested Sunday after he and three other teens allegedly bailed out of a stolen car when police approached.
The incident occurred around 3 p.m. when Southington police officers were alerted to a stolen vehicle traveling south on West Street. Officers on patrol in two locations reported seeing a red Kia Sorrento traveling at a high rate of speed and swerving into oncoming traffic while passing vehicles, according to the Southington Police Department.
An officer reportedly witnessed the vehicle turn right onto Executive Boulevard North and several responding officers converged in the area of Target and Lowes to search for the vehicle, which was located in the property’s rear lot. Upon seeing police, all four juveniles reportedly exited the vehicle, leaving the transmission in drive and heading toward a police vehicle, which was forced to collide with the vehicle to stop it, police said in a press release.
Officers quickly located the suspected driver, who was taken into custody along with the three occupants. The juvenile was transported to Southington police headquarters, where he was processed and charged with criminal trover first-degree, larceny of a motor vehicle, larceny second-degree, second-degree criminal mischief, second-degree reckless endangerment, interfering with an officer/resisting, disorderly conduct, reckless driving, operating a motor vehicle without a license, failure to obey a traffic signal and failure to drive in proper lane.
Police said he was transported to a juvenile detention center.
Two 18-year-old females were identified and released from the scene. The remaining 17-year-old juvenile female was also transported to Southington police headquarters, where she was released to a parent.
Officers said this is the third arrest involving the juvenile, with previous arrests for serious offenses in 2022 and 2023, including stolen vehicles.
