Seven young men arrested over the weekend in Clearwater for stealing from cars have 62 arrests on their record.
A 17-year-old has 30 arrests in the past four years.
The victims bring it on themselves by leaving their cars unlocked with valuables inside, including guns there for the taking.
“I thought immediately, ‘this, these are the guys.'”
Early Sunday morning, Chip Abrahamsen peered out his kitchen window to see young men going car to car, checking for unlocked doors.
“Without thinking, I unlocked my door and just ran right for the truck and if I get the license plate, we get the guys,” he said.
Abrahamsen can be seen on security camera, running down El Dorado Avenue.
“Three of them ran to the truck as I’m sprinting for the truck,” said Abrahamsen.
Don’t for a minute underestimate this 63-year-old.
“I had flip flops on. I’m a soccer player. I can run fast barefoot, flip flops, or whatever you want,” said Abrahamsen.
“I think I’m frustrated. I think my detectives are frustrated. My officers are frustrated. But even our public is frustrated,” said Clearwater Police Chief Daniel Slaughter.
He said the same young people are busted over and over again and thumb their noses at the system.
“There needs to be a mechanism that actually holds the child in confinement until you can get things under control,” said Chief Slaughter.
He blames car owners, in part, for making it easy to steal by leaving doors unlocked, even with guns inside.
“If you’re so concerned for your safety that you feel it necessary to carry a gun, but you don’t feel enough for your safety to keep your car locked, it doesn’t make sense,” said Chief Slaughter.
Thanks to Chip Abrahamsen, these guys, including the 15-year-old driver, are locked up for now.
Clearwater police also busted three others in a stolen Hyundai at the Park Place apartments.
A K-9 had to help get the driver.
Two stolen guns were in the car.