J.D. Gallop

FLORIDA TODAY

An 8-year-old girl who police said was spotted on a surveillance video breaking into a car with another juvenile was arrested on felony charges and will face a juvenile judge later next month.

The child, whose name is being withheld by FLORIDA TODAY because of her age, was charged with burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and attempted theft. She was identified on video by Palm Bay police investigating the May 8 vehicle break-in in the 300 block of Pasto Circle.

Police said the officer had little discretion in making the arrest because of the underlying felony involved with the car burglary, said Lt. Mike Bandish, spokesman for the Palm Bay Police Department.

“It is a felony. There has to be a charge," he said. "Also, my understanding is that she was not placed in a lock-up situation.

“Normally, you see kids start this kind of activity when they’re older, maybe 14 or 15 years old.”

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The child will go before a juvenile court judge who will hold a hearing to determine whether the girl is delinquent or should be put into a state program for youths. The video showed three juveniles approaching the vehicle. The youngest girl — the one later charged — was seen on the video opening the driver’s side door.

“They had a flashlight and were rummaging through the car,” Bandish said.

Another girl who was walking with the pair ran away from the car, police reported.

A police officer went to Jupiter Elementary, where the 8-year-old is a student, and questioned her about the burglary. The officer also showed the child the video, prompting the girl to name a 13-year-old boy and another girl, no age given, who were with her, reports show.

The older girl did not actively try to burglarize the vehicles and tried to convince the younger child to stop, reports show. She was not charged.

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The boy, who is not being named by FLORIDA TODAY because of his age, was also charged with burglary of a conveyance.

Officers investigating the case later went to the 8-year-old's home, several miles from where the burglary took place, to talk with her mother.

The mother confirmed the child in the video is her daughter, records show. Police arrested the 8-year-old. She was ordered to appear in juvenile court June 2 for a hearing on the case.

Contact Gallop at 321-242-3642, jdgallop@floridatoday.com and Twitter at @JDGallop

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