Teens' Illegal Escapade Caught On Video
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Two South Florida teenagers have been charged with breaking into and burglarizing a Fort Lauderdale electronics store and their illegal escapade was caught on camera.
The surveillance video from inside Gametime Electronics, located at 2611 Davie Boulevard, shows a 15-year-old boy as he literally dropped from the ceiling into the store early Saturday morning from an air duct.
"The guy came right down here through the A/C (air conditioning ) vent, broke all the metal up there. He basically landed here pretty hard," said Gametime Electronics owner Luis Caro pointing to a spot on the floor.
Once inside the business, he rifled through some drawers where he found Caro's loaded gun. He fired the weapon and then realized he was trapped inside.
In video taken outside of the store, a police officer can be seen poking around the front door because an alarm went off. When the officer didn't see any movement inside, he left.
A little while later, the kid who fell through the ceiling is seen in the video crawling away out the front door, but not for long. He returned with a buddy. They both went back inside, loaded up with expensive merchandise and took off.
"This was filled with iPhones and iPods," said store owner Luis Caro pointing to a near empty display case. "They made off with most of the stuff out here. The PlayStation 3 that was on the counter, they took that, as well as the laptops in the back."
A 14-year-old and 15-year-old were both charged in Saturday's burglary.
"I'm a Sunday school teacher," explained the 14's year old's mom, Jacqueline Andrews. " I taught him the good values of life."
She said she was shocked when she saw the store's surveillance video.
"Oh my God, my heart was breaking," said Jacqueline Andrews. "At first you don't want to believe that is your kid. That's not my kid, this guy looks almost professional."
When she found a laptop which had been stolen from the store in her home, she returned it to Caro and apologized. Andrews said she is cooperating with authorities in the case. She's hoping the judge will show mercy when the case goes to court.
Caro said this isn't the first time he's been targeted by thieves.
In different surveillance video taken in September, two teens can be seen using hammers to break through the front door. They were inside for only a matter of seconds and managed to grab expensive electronics and leave. Police arrested two teens in that incident as well.
