14-Year-Old Girl Arrested On Grand Theft Auto Charges -- For Fifth Time
POSTED: Wednesday, February 28, 2007
UPDATED: 1:48 pm EST March 1,
2007
A 14-year-old girl in Central Florida was arrested on grand theft charges Wednesday for the fifth time in five months, according to a Local 6 News report.
Local 6 showed video of Jatteria Nixon, 14, being taken into custody Wednesday after being captured by Orange County's specialized auto trap unit.
"This is her fifth grand theft auto arrest in five months," Orange County sheriff's Sgt. Carlos Espinosa said.
"Nixon has become a poster child for what authorities are calling a juvenile crime epidemic," Local 6's Jessica D'Onofrio said. "It's frustrating for authorities because these kids only stay in detention or jail for such a short period of time."
Last summer, deputies were videotaped converging on a white Pontiac Grand Prix with Nixon behind the wheel.
At the time she was already wanted for one auto theft.
"Putting them in jail isn't the hard part," Espinosa said. "Keeping them in jail is the hard part."
When deputies arrest juveniles like Nixon on charges like auto theft, it is a sign of something worse to come, the report said.
"That's the big joke out here is that we're all worried about the violent crime," Espinosa said. "Violent crime escalates. You don't just become a bank robber overnight. You do things like this. You steal cars five times."
Deputies said Nixon likely stole the car Wednesday to commit other crimes.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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