Eight youngsters on a Philadelphia youth soccer workforce have been arrested and charged with felonies after they allegedly stole 1000’s of {dollars}’ value of merchandise from a Dick’s Sporting Items in Florida — solely hours earlier than their championship sport.
The gamers on the United Thoroughbreds workforce, aged 14 to fifteen, had traveled to Polk County from Pennsylvania, the place they stole gadgets value $2,296.07 from the shop Saturday morning, in response to police.
On this display screen seize from Google Maps Avenue View, a Dick’s Sporting Items retailer is proven in Davenport, Fla.
Google Maps Avenue View
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lambasted the boys on-line for his or her crimes.
“They picked the flawed state — and the flawed county,” he posted on X.
In a press convention, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd stated the eight juveniles Ubered to the shop, the place they allegedly stuffed 47 gadgets into luggage and their pants earlier than leaving the shop.
“I do not know if these have been starters or not, however I can let you know that we have been finishers. We arrested them,” Judd said at the press conference. He unrolled an outsized receipt with all of the stolen articles to emphasise the thefts.
Judd known as the workforce the “Thoroughbred Thieves,” and stated they labored collectively in groups of two to steal, according to store footage.
All eight suspects declined to offer statements and had no prior legal arrests on file, in response to the Polk County Sheriff’s Workplace.
Resulting from being detained, they have been unable to play of their championship sport later that day, the place they misplaced to the Cocoa Tigers, 26-6, per police.
The suspects are going through costs of retail theft over $750 and conspiracy to commit retail theft, that are each felonies, per police. They should return to Florida from Pennsylvania to face the fees towards them.
