HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A 16-year-old has been arrested after deputies say he stole an ATV and a UTV and used them to drive over and damage strawberry crops at a local farm.
The sheriff's office said its looking for at least two other people reportedly involved in the incident.
Deputies said on Oct. 21 someone reported an ATV had been stolen from a home on Bethlehem Road in Dover. Tire tracks were discovered at a nearby strawberry field leading out to the road.
Deputies said a UTV was also reported stolen the same day from a home on Sydney Washer Road in Dover. The sheriff's office said the stolen ATV and UTV were used to vandalize Astin Farms on Holloway Road in Plant City, driving through several rows of what would be strawberries.
It caused about $3,000 worth of damage to the farm.
Deputies later found the stolen ATV at another home on Calhoun Road in Plant City. The 16-year-old was inside the home and confessed to taking the vehicles and to driving onto the farm, the sheriff's office said.
"Through investigative measures and help from technology, our deputies were able to make a quick arrest on this suspect," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "This individual not only stole from innocent victims, but he also put the livelihoods of farmers in jeopardy for his selfish actions. October is a critical month for strawberry farmers who are just putting seeds in the ground for harvest later this year and into next year."
The sheriff's office said the 16-year-old has been arrested more than a dozen times, including in a recent burglary spree in Hillsborough County.
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