The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A Florida teen is facing legal consequences after allegedly shooting a flare gun onto a private school’s soccer field in the middle of a match.
On November 21, players from the Falcons, Saint Stephens Episcopal School’s soccer team, went up against the Panthers from Bradenton Christian School. While it did not stop the home team from winning the match, an incident occurred during the game that exposed the players to danger and caused over $1,000 in damage to the field.
People were watching the game and cheering for their teams, and one group, who were not students at Saint Stephens, was reportedly acting extremely rowdy. It was reported that they began making so much of a commotion that they were disturbing others, and they were asked to leave the premises. They complied with the order, and they walked back to the vehicle in which they arrived, which was parked at a nearby restaurant across the street from the school.
When they got into the car, a 16-year-old passenger reportedly picked up a flare gun and shot it in the direction of the field. The flares made it across the street and onto the field, and at least one soccer player was nearly struck. It was also reported that over $1,000 worth of damage was done to the field.
On December 9, the teen turned himself in at the Bradenton Police Department. He was taken into custody and brought to the Manatee Juvenile Detention Center on suspicion of third-degree felony criminal mischief with damage in excess of $1,000, and second-degree misdemeanor culpable negligence – exposure to harm. It was reported that he said he was sorry for what happened, and the police do not believe he was aware the flares would go far enough to hit the field.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a criminal offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.