CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A 16-year-old Cape Coral teen faces multiple charges after stealing two vehicles and crashing one while driving under the influence Saturday night.
Police said Donovan M. Arana was arrested following a crime spree that began at 9:47 p.m. on Sept. 21 when Cape Coral Police officers were called to a car theft at the 7-Eleven at 3129 Chiquita Boulevard South.
A victim reported his maroon Kia Sorento was stolen from the parking lot after he left the keys inside while briefly going into the store.
When officers arrived, they said they found a blue Honda CR-V in the same area with its lights on, engine running and transmission left in reverse. No one was in it and said it had been stolen from a home near Gleason Parkway and Skyline Boulevard.
At that home, another vehicle — a Suburban — had been burglarized, and the Honda had struck the Suburban while backing out of the driveway, causing damage to both vehicles.
While officers were still speaking with the Kia owner at the 7-Eleven, the officer spotted his vehicle driving on Gleason Parkway toward the intersection at Chiquita Boulevard.
The department said the Kia Sorento was traveling southbound on Chiquita Boulevard South before turning eastbound onto SW 31st Terrace with no headlights. Officers said they reviewed security video from the store, which showed the suspect, identified as Arana, exiting the stolen blue Honda and driving away in the Kia Sorento.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit helped in the search and found the stolen Kia traveling north on Chiquita Boulevard at a high rate of speed. At 10:24 p.m., the officer said the car crashed at SW 28th Terrace and SW 17th Avenue, striking a wooden utility pole and a dumpster before coming to rest on the property of a home under construction.
Arana was taken from the car by Cape Coral Police officers and Florida Highway Patrol troopers. They said he showed signs of impairment, including bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and the odor of alcohol. Due to crash-related injuries, he went to the hospital. His blood alcohol content was tested at .105, the department said. He was arrested by FHP for DUI.
A detective in the Property Crimes Unit took over the vehicle theft investigation and reviewed surveillance footage from 7-Eleven, confirming Arana was the suspect. According to police, Arana was wearing the same clothing seen on the video when he was detained after the crash. Inside the stolen Honda, forensic technicians recovered stolen alcoholic beverages, snacks and a key fob belonging to another vehicle. The burglarized Suburban also contained scattered personal checks and an open alcoholic beverage.
According to police, the Kia Sorento was totaled with an estimated $30,000 loss. The LCEC utility pole replacement cost is $30,000, and the dumpster damage is estimated at $5,000.
Arana faces seven charges: three counts of DUI property damage, three counts of burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, two counts of grand theft motor vehicle, one count of petit theft under $750, and one count of DUI.
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