ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Two children in a stolen car were injured Friday when the car hit a St. Petersburg home, according to police.

  • Children in stolen car injured Friday
  • The car hit a St. Petersburg home 
  • A 14-year-old stole the car, police said

The crash happened at a home on 57th Street North at about 5 a.m.

Police said a 14-year-old stole the car from a family friend, lost control and then crashed into the house.

The teen and another child inside the car were taken to All Children's Hospital. The 14-year-old has non-life-threatening injuries. The child passenger had a few cuts and bruises.

The house did not have any structural damage, police said. No one was inside at the time of the crash.

Police said charges are pending. 

Example of larger problem?

Resident Melinda Langford, who lives nearby, said the incident was a reminder of a larger problem she's very familiar with.

"They had already stolen my purse, came back, the cops knew," Langford explained. "They were like, they have your keys, so they are going to come back and steal the truck."

Last June, teens stole Langford's truck right from her driveway. A surveillance camera recorded it all, but as she explained, that theft was just the beginning.

"I just got back from Nashville, Tennessee, the kids came back to steal my truck again, broke my cameras," she said. "I don't feel safe."

State crime statistics suggest a downward trend in similar crimes, however. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Uniform Crime Report, 139 juveniles were arrested in St. Pete in 2017 for stealing cars, compared to 77 adults arrested for the same crime.

In 2018, juvenile car thefts dropped to 106, while thefts committed by adults jumped to 111.

"It's a trend that trending downwards and we're doing everything possible to make sure that number continues to go down," said Sandra Bentil with St. Petersburg Police.

For her part, Langford said she's not putting much faith in those numbers or trends.

"I have OnStar, drive an $85,000 vehicle, so hopefully it takes care of itself," she told us.