The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A man is facing charges after he allegedly allowed a 12-year-old girl in his care to operate his SUV at a reported speed of 85 MPH.
Shaun Michaelsen is a 41-year-old resident of Jupiter, Florida.
On June 8, Michaelsen was reportedly caring for his female friend’s 12-year-old daughter and one of the preteen’s friends for a couple of days.
While hanging out with Michaelsen, the 12-year-old reportedly hassled him by expressing extreme interest in driving his vehicle.
Just after midnight, a police officer allegedly saw the girl behind the wheel when reportedly noticing an SUV that had violated traffic laws.
The girl driving the vehicle allegedly made a U-turn in an area restricted from performing the maneuver, and then reportedly took off at a high speed.
The officer, who reported that the speed limit on the road was 45 MPH, claimed he clocked the SUV at 85 MPH before he was able to get the girl to pull over.
When talking to the reportedly underage driver, she told the officer that Michaelsen instructed her to speed up the vehicle while she was driving.
Michaelsen allegedly explained that he was trying to appear as if he was the “cool dad” type, though he is not the father of either of the children that were present. He additionally allegedly added that he obtained vape pens for the girls when they asked if he would do so.
Michaelsen is expected to face charges for suspicion of two felony counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, and misdemeanor charges for permitting an unauthorized person to drive, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
As of Tuesday, he was being held without bond.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a domestic violence offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.