Following a traffic accident in which two teens burned to death in a stolen car, the St. Petersburg community is once again faced with its ongoing problem with youth car theft.
Just after 3 a.m. Monday morning, an 18-year-old and 16-year-old burned to death after the stolen Mazda Miata they were speeding in struck a tree. The accident has reignited concerns about the area's ongoing and well-reported problem with young people stealing cars for joyrides.
According to an ABC Action News story, St. Petersburg Police have investigated 636 car thefts so far this year, compared to more than 800 around this same time last year. It's an improvement, but locals remained frustrated by what's been called an epidemic. State Senator Darryl Rouson, whose District 19 includes parts of Pinellas County, told ABC Action News he plans to launch a new program in January, allocating some $100,000 toward mentorship and job training for at-risk youth, but added that it's a community problem that will take the community's commitment to stop.
This article appears in Nov 15-22, 2018.