‘Bonnie and Clyde’ teens finally captured in Florida, authorities say

‘Bonnie and Clyde’ teens finally captured in Florida, authorities say

They were found sleeping in a car in Panama City, and the older boy was reportedly scared and wanted to come home.

Authorities in Florida finally caught up with the two teenage sweethearts from Kentucky suspected in a crime spree across the South reminiscent of Bonnie and Clyde, the outlaws who left a trail of crime during the Great Depression. Fortunately, this tale has a less violent ending.

Police arrested 18-year-old Dalton Hayes and his girlfriend, 13-year-old Cheyenne Phillips, before dawn on Sunday in Panama City Beach after spending days on the lam, according to an Associated Press report.

Norman Chaffins, the sheriff of Grayson County, Kentucky, where the teens are from, said Hayes was “very scared” and wanted to come home. Chaffins expects that they will be extradited back to Kentucky by the end of the week, according to the report. He was scheduled for an 8:30 a.m. court appearance via video.

Meanwhile, Cheyenne Phillips was not taken into custody, but rather taken to a safe location until authorities could make arrangements with the family. The Florida Department of Children & Families was in charge of that situation.

The U.S. Marshal’s Service and Panama City Beach Police found Hayes and Phillips asleep in a car they had allegedly stolen when they were in Georgia. They face criminal charges including burglary, theft, criminal trespassing, and criminal mischief, according to the report. Phillips will face charges in juvenile court due to her age.

The duo had disappeared earlier this month when they suddenly fled their hometown in western Kentucky, popping up in South Carolina and Georgia and allegedly stealing cars and pilfering checks.

The couple had been dating for three months, and Phillips had portrayed herself as being 19 years old, convincing both Hayes and his family, according to the report. Although Hayes reportedly later found out her true age, he was in love with her at that point.

Phillips would sometimes write checks and return with cigarettes, causing them to believe she was telling the truth about being 19.

Hayes was already fleeing trouble from back home when the pair left the area, facing burglary and theft charges in Grayson County from an arrest late last year. He was supposed to a appear at the local judicial center on Jan. 5 to see if the grand jury had indicted him, but the teens had gone by that time.

Chaffins warned that the couple’s behavior was becoming “increasingly brazen and dangerous,” and later that he was glad the situation had ended peacefully before they could flee again.

Be social, please share!

Facebooktwittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *