ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One teen died and two others were seriously injured after crashing a stolen Maserati early Sunday morning.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri answered many questions surrounding the incident Tuesday afternoon, including how deputies learned of the theft taking place and how the car went airborne moments later. The events were all captured on camera by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office helicopter.
At around 3:20 a.m., deputies were responding to a burglary unrelated to the deadly crash. During that time, the helicopter noticed the three teens walking close to cars along 62nd Avenue in St. Petersburg. That's when the helicopter told deputies they should look into what was going on, Gualtieri said during Tuesday's news conference.
A short time after, the sheriff said the three teens between 15 and 16 years old were able to get into a Maserati near 62nd Avenue and 25th Way S., sit in the car for just over a minute then drive off.
That's when two deputies in patrol cars began to follow behind the Maserati. At first, Gualtieri said they were driving at a normal speed. Once deputies activated their lights, the Maserati sped off. Deputies were ordered to back off and "disengage" in the pursuit but were able to observe the Maserati driving at 123 mph.
As the car sped off, the video shows the car begin to fishtail before going airborne, hitting a sign and landing upside down. It's reported that the driver lost control of the Maserati in the area between Martin Luther King Boulevard and 62nd Avenue. He did not have a drivers license. They had traveled a little over a mile and a quarter before the crash.
The front passenger, Mario Bonilla, 15, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and other teen sitting in the backseat were transported to Bayfront Health and Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.
Gualtieri said the driver was not expected to survive his injuries when he was first transported to the hospital but now has a chance to live following multiple surgeries.
During the investigation, deputies found a 25-caliber semi-automatic handgun in the front seat that didn't belong to the car owner. The sheriff's office believes the teens had the gun in their possession upon getting in the car. Additionally, they also found a glove and black ski mask in the car.
Deputies also learned that the three teens sneaked out of their homes once their parents went to bed Saturday night before stealing the car. And for the most part, aside from one minor offense, the teens did not have a criminal record.
"These parents didn't do anything wrong," Gualtieri said. "Parents parenting."
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said deputies were ordered to disengage because the sheriff's office has an extremely restricted pursuit policy.
"Somebody's life is not worth it," Gualtieri said.
The agency does not pursue property crime and the criteria to follow a pursuit must meet strict parameters, Gualtieri explained.
As far as protecting your property goes, the sheriff said driver should remember to lock their car doors and not leave valuables in them. But ultimately, the teens shouldn't have taken someone else's property, Gualtieri said.
"Don't steal people's stuff," he said.
At this time, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office has not filed any charges, but if so, the teen who was driving could face grand theft and third-degree felony murder, the sheriff said.