Abandoned Car Incident Lands Southington Teen With Charges

SOUTHINGTON, CT — A Southington teen is facing criminal charges after being found with five minors inside an abandoned vehicle that had a distinct drug smell to it, police said.

Xavier Oakes, 18 of the Plantsville section of Southington, was charged with three counts of

impairing the morals of a minor and third-degree criminal trespass, police said. Oakes was held Wednesday into Thursaday on a $2,500 bond and was to appear in court on Thursday, police said.

Soutington police on Thursday received an anonymous complaint about youths "trespassing" in an
abandoned vehicle on Railroad Avenue and the caller said the youths were possibly drinking alcohol or using drugs, according to a report. Police had received complaints about youths loitering around the vehicle in the past, a report indicates.

The vehicle has a canceled registration and the owner was found to be living at different location, police said.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found Oakes sitting in the vehicle with five minors and the officers noticed a "strong" marijuana odor coming from inside it, according to a report. A police dog was called to the scene and indicated that drugs were in or recently inside the vehicle, but officers were unable to locate any "contraband" inside it, according to a report.

The minors were referred to juvenile authorities for trespassing and turned over to their parents, police said. Their ages were not released.

Photo Credit: SPD

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