Three Teens Jump In Lake To Get Away From Cops

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Lake Helen, FL - Three teens are facing multiple charges after leading officers on a chase and jumping into Lake Macy in an effort to get away. Volusia County Sheriff's deputies caught them on the other side of the lake near Macy Ave. in Lake Helen.

The chase started around 4 a.m. Wednesday morning when a DeLand reported a car break-in in progress. Sheriff's deputies and Air 1 responded to help DeLand Police look for the suspects. During the search, officers spotted a black Honda and tried to conduct a traffic stop. The driver sped off in the car that had been reported stolen in Deltona.

Air 1 tracked the car as it traveled with lights off east on New York Ave to S. Kepler Rd. The vehicle continued into Lake Helen where it stopped near a home in the 600 block of S. Lakeview Dr. Three teens jumped out of the car and ran.

Sheriff's deputies, along with a DeLand Police K-9 team, tracked the three, who ran into a marshy, heavily wooded area and then jumped into Lake Macy. Two of them swam across toward Macy Ave. where they were captured. The other got out of the lake, running along the lake shore and into the woods. He would not comply with officer's commands and was bitten by the K-9 in the process.

Stolen property was found in the Honda, which was linked to vehicle burglaries in DeBary and DeLand. The trio are also linked to burglaries in Seminole County.

Two of the teens were taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice. The driver, age 15, was charged with fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest and driving without a license. He will also be charged with vehicle burglaries and auto theft. The second teen, age 16, was charged with resisting and had an active warrant for misdemeanor drug possession. The third teen, also 15, was charged with resisting arrest and turned over to DeLand police for their investigation.