Proving Once Again That Criminals Are Not Smart

Polk Sheriff: Car burglaries solved by accidental shooting

Detectives got a break in the case just after 9 p.m. Wednesday when authorities were dispatched to a shooting in the Medulla Oaks neighborhood off Old Road 37. The sheriff's office said the one boy had accidentally shot himself in the arm at one of the other teen's homes while all three were present.

The kid who shot himself will be OK. In addition to the stolen gun, the police found IDs and a debit card that were stolen.

The sheriff's office said all three teens would be charged with armed burglary, burglary of a conveyance, grand theft of a firearm, conspiracy to commit burglary, conspiracy to commit theft, possession of a firearm by a juvenile, possession of personal identification and petit theft.

In the words of Bugs Bunny, "What a maroon."

And as always, I have to give some space to one of my favorite sheriffs.

“Most car burglaries occur to vehicles that are left unlocked, and as a law enforcement officer, that is very frustrating," Sheriff Grady Judd wrote in a statement. "Even more frustrating is when a firearm is stolen from an unlocked vehicle. Fortunately, the boy should have a full recovery, and hopefully everyone involved has learned some valuable lessons here.”

And don't leave a firearm in a car. And REALLY don't leave a firearm in an unlocked car. Yes, I know sometimes you need to leave a firearm behind to go someplace where they are not allowed. They make safes for that. (OK, so they are really little more than lock boxes; they should stop a smash and grab. And anything is better than an unlocked car.)

This almost, but not quite, qualifies as Peak Florida.