PORT CHARLOTTE, FL – On Tuesday, August 25, 2020, at about 4:00 am, deputies responded to a home located on Mauritania Road in Port Charlotte, in reference to a suspicious vehicle. The caller advised the deputies that his neighbor had called him stating someone was attempting to break into his house. The caller had looked outside to see a short, thin white male wearing black long sleeves, wearing a white mask pulled on the door handles attempting to enter his wife’s Ford Edge. The caller stated the male was in between his wife’s vehicle and his Ford F150 and he witnessed the suspect going back and forth as if he was attempting to enter his truck. The caller told deputies both vehicles were locked so the male was unable to enter them.
The caller then pointed at two vehicles (a black in color SUV and a silver in color SUV) on Mauritania Road and stated they had just broken into his neighbor’s vehicle. While on scene, deputies observed a white male subject in a black hoodie and black pants, attempt to open the door of a vehicle located in the driveway of another home on Mauritania Road. The suspect saw the marked patrol vehicle and then got into the driver seat of a silver SUV driving off toward Rampart Blvd.
Deputies followed the silver SUV and noticed a black SUV driving behind the suspect’s vehicle down Mauritania Road toward Rampart Boulevard. The silver vehicle turned left on to Oberon Road where deputies cornered the vehicles at a cul-de-sac. The black SUV then drove through the lawn and the silver SUV maneuvered behind the patrol car fleeing the area.
Both vehicles fled at a high rate of speed toward Rio De Janiero Avenue. Both vehicles were traveling approximately 90 mph in a posted 35 mph residential speed zone.
During the same time, another deputy was on scene and noticed the vehicle fleeing from the location and attempted a traffic stop. At this time, the silver SUV lost control and spun out. The driver, a white male wearing black hoodie and dark pants exited the vehicle and took off on foot.
Deputies then identified themselves as law enforcement and initiated a foot pursuit. The subject continued running away, refusing to stop. Eventually, deputies lost sight of the suspect at corner of Sandhill Blvd and Rio De Janeiro.
Within six minutes of last seeing the fleeing subject, a caller reported to the Sheriff’s Office a subject matching the same clothing description was banging on their door located on Sandhill Blvd. The subject advised the caller he was being followed and needed to use a phone. Units responded to this location and were able to locate the subject.
The suspect first provided law enforcement with a fictitious name but was later positively identified as Peyton, 16, of Saint Petersburg. During the investigation, deputies discovered the Silver SUV was stolen from a residence on Alaska Avenue in Port Charlotte.
At this time, there have been 20 reports of burglarized vehicles.
Peyton is charged with the following:
- Grand Theft of Motor Vehicle
- False ID Given to LEO
- Burglary of an Unoccupied Conveyance Unarmed
- LARC / PETIT 1ST DEGREE PROPERTY 100 TO UND 300 DOLS
- Fleeing or Attempting to Elude LEO
- False ID Given to LEO
- Operate motor vehicle WO valid license
- CRIM ATT SOL CONSP 3RD DEGREE FELONY BURGLARY
- CRIM ATT SOL CONSP 3RD DEGREE FELONY BURGLARY
- Burglary of an Unoccupied Conveyance Unarmed
- Burglary of an Unoccupied Conveyance Unarmed
- LARC Petit theft 2nd Degree 1st Offence
We want to thank the community for staying vigilant and reporting suspicious activity.
Editors note: The teen was named in the report however the last name is being withheld by Published Reporter editors due to his age.
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