Southington police: Two teens charged with car theft, illegally firing off gun

Two teen boys were charged with stealing a car in Bristol and illegally firing off a gun in Southington on Sunday afternoon, according to the Southington Police Department.

Police responded to Shuttle Meadow Road for a report of a suspicious vehicle in the Garden Path Florist parking lot around 1:15 p.m. on Sunday. The vehicle was identified as stolen from Bristol before police arrived, officials said.

Witnesses saw two boys, who were dressed in black, park and exit the vehicle before walking toward Shuttle Meadow Road and Dunham Street, police said.

Surveillance footage showed three boys exiting the car. Officers found the three suspects less than half a mile from the scene and identified them from the footage. The three were between the ages of 14 and 16, police said.

Video footage provided by nearby residents showed one of the three teens running through a yard with a black fanny pack. Another video given to police picked up the sound of two gunshots and, minutes later, shows the teens walking from the direction of the shots.

After locating the teens, police said they found a firearm and the keys to the stolen vehicle concealed in the fanny pack of one of suspects. Two of the teens later admitted to firing the gun behind Dunham Place — one shot over the highway and another into a tree, police said.

Based on the investigation, Southington police said they concluded that two of the three boys, ages 14 and 16, were responsible for a variety of crimes.

The 14-year-old was charged with reckless endangerment, unlawful discharge of a firearm and carrying a pistol without a permit. The 16-year-old was charged with reckless endangerment, unlawful discharge of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a permit and theft of a motor vehicle.

Both teens were issued a juvenile summons and released to their parents.

Mike Mavredakis can be reached at mmavredakis@courant.com or via Twitter @MikeMavredakis.