16-year-old driver charged in Lake Worth crash that injured girl during chase, police say
A 16-year-old who is accused of crashing a car and critically injuring a 13-year-old girl while fleeing from officers has been arrested, Lake Worth police said Friday.
Four people, including the two teens, were in the car when it overturned on Feb. 15.
Police said on Friday that their investigation determined the 16-year-old was the driver. He has been charged with three felony counts of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury and a misdemeanor count of unlawful carrying of a weapon.
Lake Worth police said additional arrests are expected in the case. Investigators have said the 13-year-old was a victim of sexual assault. She wasn’t related to any of the men in the car, police said, and they’re investigating the possibility of human trafficking.
Homeland Security Investigations has joined the investigation and is providing technical support to Lake Worth detectives. Federal charges are being considered.
Following his arrest, the teen was taken to the Lynn W. Ross Juvenile Detention Center in Fort Worth. He was on probation for a previous case on charges of drug possession and resisting arrest. His name has not been released because of his status as a juvenile.
The chase and crash happened about 9 p.m. on Feb. 15 when officers tried to stop the car for a routine traffic violation, Lake Worth police said. The pursuit lasted about a minute and ended when the car hit a curb in the 2900 block of Northwest Centre Drive. The impact caused the driver to lose control, and the car overturned in a nearby field. Three people were thrown from the car.
Police identified the other two passengers as 28-year-old Eric Conde and 18-year-old Xavier Lopez. The men were hospitalized and released after treatment, while the 13-year-old girl remains in the hospital.
In plain view around the car, officers found two loaded handguns (one of which was outfitted with a “switch” that makes the pistol capable of automatic fire), 22 grams of cocaine, 10 grams of black tar heroin, and other drug paraphernalia, police said.
