Unusual twist in theft sees 15-year-old suspect turned in by his dad, Florida cops say

A luxury car theft investigation was solved when a man easily recognized the suspect in surveillance photos shared on social media, according to investigators in Florida.

It was his teenage son, and dad’s response was swift and stern, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said in a Jan. 29 news release.

“Shortly after posting these images, Detective (Melvin) Coates was contacted by an individual who identified the person as his 15-year-old,” the sheriff’s office said.

“(The boy) was subsequently brought to our North-Multi district office, placed under arrest for grand theft of a motor vehicle, and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice.”

The theft happened just before 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Ocala Charter High School, about an 80-mile drive northwest from Orlando.

A Lincoln MKZ was taken from the parking lot and was found abandoned later that day, just over a mile from the school, the sheriff’s office said.

“We need to identify this joyriding thief before they steal again,” the sheriff’s office wrote in a Facebook post that shared multiple photos taken inside a convenience store.

Grand theft of a motor vehicle is a third-degree felony in Florida, legal experts say.

This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 7:32 AM with the headline "Unusual twist in theft sees 15-year-old suspect turned in by his dad, Florida cops say."