Authorities say that several Pennsylvania teens who traveled south to Florida for a football tournament attempted to make off with more than $2,000 worth of merchandise from a sporting goods retailer and now face felony charges for the theft.
Deputies in Polk County, Florida, stated that the teens were part of a youth football team from Pennsylvania that had come to the Sunshine State for a championship youth football game on Dec. 6.
The day of the game, the teens visited a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Davenport.
Surveillance video shows two separate groups entering the store.
As one teen purchases an item, his friends are standing elsewhere in the store, browsing.
Then, the teen walks over to his friends, who start placing several items in his Dick’s Sporting Goods bag.
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the teens “took the bag, passed all points of sale, and walked out of the store.”
Three of the teens tried to leave the store with the stolen merchandise, but law enforcement was already there to stop them after a manager called 911. The other five teens were still inside the store, where they were detained.
Authorities said one of the teens who left the store had a black backpack filled with some stolen merchandise, and another teenager was carrying the Dick’s Sporting Goods bag with even more stolen items.
In total, they stole $2,296.07 worth of merchandise, including items like hoodies, beanies, back plates, gloves, lip guards and joggers.
The teens, five 15-year-olds and three 14-year-olds, were taken to a juvenile assessment center and charged with retail theft over $750 and conspiracy to commit retail theft, both felonies.
Due to their arrests, they were unable to participate in their championship game.
“These juveniles were not from Polk County, they came here from out of state for a football tournament, and instead of representing their team with pride, they chose to commit a crime,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Let this be clear: it doesn’t matter if you’re from here or visiting, if you break the law in Polk County, you will be arrested and held accountable.”
