DAVENPORT, Fla. — The Polk County Sheriff's Office said eight teens from Pennsylvania were arrested after allegedly stealing over $2,000 worth of merchandise from Dick's Sporting Goods in Davenport.
WATCH: 8 teen football players arrested for retail theft at Dick's Sporting Goods, miss championship game: PCSO
On Saturday, Dec. 6, around 11 a.m., deputies responded to reports of retail theft in progress at Dick's Sporting Goods in Posner Plaza. The store manager contacted authorities after seeing multiple teens concealing merchandise. When deputies arrived, they detained all eight suspects.
According to PCSO, deputies reviewed surveillance video and saw the two groups of suspects entered the store separately and then acted together to commit theft. One group entered Dick's and walked around, looking at merchandise.
The second group then entered the store and one of the suspects made a purchase. The second group then met up with the rest of the suspects in the middle of the store with the Dick's Sporting Goods bag and the other suspects placed merchandise inside of it. Authorities said they then took the bag past all points of sale and walked out of the store, where they were detained.
“All of these stores have cameras, and we have relationships with all of these stores," said Sheriff Grady Judd. "If you come here to Polk County and steal, there’s no notices to appear. There’s no warnings. You’re in handcuffs and taken to the county jail or taken to juvenile lock up. Period."
Officials said in total, $2,296.07 of merchandise was stolen.
The suspects were identified as members of a Philadelphia youth football team who were in Polk County participating in a tournament and were scheduled to compete in the championship game later that day. The coach and the teens' parents were notified.
PCSO said none of the teens have prior criminal arrest histories. Deputies charged the teens with retail theft over $750 and conspiracy to commit retail theft. Due to their arrests, they were unable to participate in the championship game.
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