Stow Teen Who Stole Dump Truck to Serve Two Years

The now 17-year-old Stow resident and took police from , Cuyahoga Falls, Akron and the Ohio State Highway Patrol on a high speed chase pleaded the juvenile equivalent of guilty May 26 to several felony charges.

The teen, who is now considered a serious youthful offender, will be transferred to the Department of Youth Services at the Sciota Juvenile Correctional Facility to serve a sentence of two years and six months. However, he gets a six month credit for time already served in the detention center.

The youth will also be on probation between nine and 12 months after he is released.

The teen spoke about the Dec. 4 incident in court yesterday and said that morning he got into a fight with his father and began drinking in the dump truck before taking police on a chase with speeds topping out at 70 mph.

"I got into a fight [with my father] and he kicked me out of house and I left and sat in the truck for an hour drinking," said the teen. "I remember driving half way through Akron on [S.R.] 8 ... I blacked out and my memory doesn’t pick up again."

The teen does recall seeing officers trying to stop the stolen 1996 Mack truck.

"I saw lights and sirens ... I finally turned around and looked back and saw what was going on and thought, 'If this many people are after me, I was thinking I killed somebody and I just kept driving,'" he said.

The high speed chase finally ended 52 miles later when the youth crashed into a guard rail in Strasburg.

Charges against the teen, keep in the juvenile system, include several first-degree felonious assault charges from Stow and Akron, receiving stolen property, failure to comply, driving with a suspended license and vandalism. 

"I decided to keep the case here in juvenile court because of the  potential to get things turned around. I wasn’t willing to throw in the towel and say, 'There's nothing the court can do,'" Teodosio said. "And I take my hat off for the officers ... I have nothing but the utmost respect for officers who put their lives in harms way."

If the teen had been convicted of the crimes as an adult, the charges would have been more severe. Fines and jail time could almost be doubled in some cases.

If the juvenile commits a violent misdemeanor or felony in the next two years, he could face the adult penalties for his charges, the judge explained. He could face up to 10 years in prison with five years post-release control.

"This case could have been a lot worse," the judge said.

The teen, who would be a junior in high school, will now be required to continue his education and the judge ordered the youth to write apology letters after finishing the victim awareness program. His license will also be suspended until he is 21.

"Your parents and the system will provide you with support," said Teodosio. "This is not an opportunity you’ll likely get again — take advantage of your time there."

Patch generally does not name juveniles accused of crimes.