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String of violent crimes involving teens draws concern in Central Florida cities
Gun violence has claimed the lives of two people in Sanford over the last two weeks
SANFORD, Fla. - Six teens were taken into custody in connection to an armed robbery and a stolen car. It’s just another instance of violent crime in the city involving teens over the last two weeks.
"Yet again we’re responding to another call with juveniles," said Sanford Police PIO Tammy Townsend.
This time the call was to the Charleston Apartment Complex off of East Lake Mary Boulevard. A person claimed to have been robbed of some cash at gunpoint. Police say the suspects took off in a grey Hyundai.
"While we were getting information relayed to us through dispatch from the victim, one of our officers saw a vehicle that matched the description," said Townsend.
The car turned out to be stolen. The car drove through some shrubs trying to avoid police before being dumped behind the Auto Zone off of South Orlando Drive. All six teen suspects would be taken into custody.
"We are just needing parents and guardians to talk to their kids. Asking where they’re going. What they’re doing," said Townsend. "Here we had a group of them in a vehicle and they did not have good intentions for the night."
Over the last two weeks, two 18-year-olds have lost their lives due to gun violence in the city.
In one case an 18-year-old teen mother expecting her second child was shot in a park. In the other, an 18-year-old man was killed, and two others were injured when police say at least three people shot up their car.
"When we have people in the community who know who is involved, you have information to help solve the crime, and put a stop to it, if they don’t come forward they are part of the problem," said Sanford Mayor Art Woodruff.
Mayor Woodruff says the city tends to see a rise in violence towards the end of the year. Although, he says the city won’t stand for what they are seeing.
"We have people in our community that use their guns. That’s how they think they solve their problems, but we just have to continue through our community. Through our city programs. Through our schools. Through our higher levels of government. We’ve got to get to these people and explain to them that that’s not the way to do it," said Woodruff.