11-Year-Old Arrested Following Crime Spree

Authorities in Alachua County tracked down an 11-year-old boy who allegedly pointed a gun at two individuals and demanded their vehicles.

Deputies said they responded to a “suspicious incident” on March 25, 2025 at around 3 p.m. in the Meadowbrook neighborhood. “The victim stated the suspect pointed a gun at them and demanded their car keys,” the sheriff’s office said. “Unsuccessful in the carjacking, [the suspect] left the scene on foot.” About an hour later, an armed robbery attempt was reported in the Hills of Santa Fe neighborhood where victims also said a suspect pointed a gun at them and demanded their car.

Upon arrival, the officers said they noticed the suspect fleeing the scene on foot. “Through interviewing the victims, deputies learned [the suspect] was the same in this crime as the previous incident,” the sheriff’s office said.

Following an investigation, the 11-year-old was located at his residence in the Hills of Santa Fe and was taken into custody and charged with armed carjacking and two counts of armed robbery.

Pre-Arrest Investigations

Usually, crime victims are not credible witnesses in court. These individuals are under such extreme stress they usually cannot recall any significant details. So, to identify suspects, officers must rely on informants or lineups, at least in most cases.

Informants are practically per se unreliable. Most informants receive leniency in another proceeding or a substantial cash payment, or they have an axe to grind against the defendant. Most people will say practically anything for love (or hate) or money. So,  unless an informant’s testimony has some independent corroborating proof, a Tampa criminal defense lawyer can almost always successfully argue that it’s unreliable and therefore inadmissible.

The argument must be convincing. Judges generally let borderline non-credible witnesses testify and allow the jury to weigh their testimony.

Incidentally, the informant’s testimony might be accurate yet unreliable. A broken clock, which is clearly unreliable, is accurate twice a day.

Alternatively, instead of informants, police investigators often use lineups to pinpoint suspects. Lineups, at least certain kinds of lineups, are almost per se unreliable as well.

Single-photo “Is this the guy” lineups are nothing short of a farce. The witness will almost always say “yes” in that situation.

Traditional live lineups, which are normally single-blind lineups, aren’t much better. If the witness doesn’t know the suspect’s identity but the administering officer knows, the administering officer usually feeds the witness subtle or not-so-subtle clues. The most common one is placing the suspect in the center of the lineup.

Double-blind lineups (both the witness and administering officer are in the dark) are much more reliable, but very rarely used.

The Juvenile Justice System

In Florida, 11-year-olds usually cannot be tried as adults under any circumstances. So, this boy will most likely go through the juvenile justice system, which is a hybrid between criminal and family courts.

The same criminal laws, and same potential penalties, apply to everyone, regardless of social status, age, ethnicity, gender, or anything else. However, juvenile courts also consider the best interests of the child. Sometimes, harsh punishment is in the best interests of the child, but that’s not usually the case.

If a child is accused of a violent crime, many courts combine punishment and rehabilitation, usually by confining the child in a secure halfway house. The child basically can’t leave the premises and receives therapy and other such support.

However, judges are often unwilling to throw children back into the same environment. So, while the child is confined, caregivers usually have some hoops to jump through. For example, they must often take parenting classes. If caregivers go above and beyond, the child’s confinement in a secure halfway house is usually shorter.

Connect With a Hard-Working Hillsborough County Attorney

A criminal charge is not the same thing as a criminal conviction. For a confidential consultation with an experienced criminal defense lawyer in Tampa, contact the OA Law Firm. Convenient payment plans are available.

Source:

news4jax.com/news/local/2025/03/26/florida-child-arrested-after-two-unsuccessful-armed-carjacking-attempts-deputies-say/