OREM, Utah – Three teens were arrested in Orem Tuesday morning after they allegedly stole two cars and broke into an estimated 60 more during a 12-hour burglary spree.
Orem police responded to a reports of two juveniles chasing each other through yards in the area near 900 N and 400 West Tuesday at around 8:30 a.m., and around the same time they received a call from a Proctor Guardian about two runaway juveniles.
According to a press release from the Orem City Police Department, the Proctor Guardian gave police the name of a third juvenile the two may have been with. Police apprehended all three teens. Two of them are 13-year-old boys from Orem and the other a 14-year-old boy from Eagle Mountain. Police found stolen property with the boys, but, according to the release, that was, “just the tip of the iceberg for these three.”
After interviewing the boys, police said they discovered the teens had left Orem Junior High Monday morning with another juvenile female to hang out a relative’s house, where they stayed for most of the day. The three juveniles allegedly left after the girl’s father came to pick her up, and as it got dark they decided to go “car hopping.”
According to police, the teens burglarized several cars and eventually found a 1986 Cadillac DeVille with the keys in it, and they stole the car and drove it to Orem, where they bought snacks at a Wal-Mart. Officers said the teens left Wal-Mart and burglarized more cars, but they left the radio on in the Cadillac, and the car’s battery died. After allegedly burglarizing even more cars, the teens found a 2000 Ford Windstar with the keys in it, and they stole that.
The teens allegedly drove the stolen Ford up Provo Canyon, where they tried to find a place to sleep. After seeing police at Timpanogos Park, the teens drove to a Wal-Mart in Orem, where they used credit cards stolen from the van to buy several things. They left Wal-Mart, parked the van and walked to a nearby neighborhood, where they committed more auto burglaries. It was at that time they were apprehended.
Police said they are trying to find the owners of a lot of stolen property, including clothing, cellphones, makeup, cash, sun glasses, MP3 players, knives, duffel bags and various kinds of electronics. The three boys are proctor kids, according to the release, and all three were booked into detention.
The teens have been charged with, theft of a vehicle, possession of stolen property, two counts of theft from a vehicle, criminal mischief and three counts of unlawful use of credit card. Police said they believe the teens entered at least 60 cars in the Provo and Orem areas. Most of the burglaries happened between 400 and 600 West and 900 and 1000 North.
Those who believe they may have been a victim in these crimes are asked to contact Orem Police Dispatch at 801-229-7070.
