After hopping one too many fences, a teen running from police in Florida met a neighbor willing to help him hide out. At least that's what he thought.
On Monday just before noon, an off-duty officer standing in front of his home in Opa Locka, near Miami, noticed a teen running around his block.
"He stopped, put his hands on his legs, trying to catch his breath. He says, 'I'm running from the police. Can you help me?'" the officer told NBC 6. The homeowner is a Miami-Dade Schools' detective, who did not want to be identified.
"Sure I can help you." he answered.
The teen hopped the fence and walked right into the friendly man's home. He jumped right onto the leather couch but failed to notice his surroundings. There are several pictures of the homeowner in uniform, and a police radio on the table. None the wiser, the teen started spilling the beans, telling the officer he had pushed his foster mother.
"But he didn't push her, he beat her and then he ran," said the officer.
In fact, according to an Opa Locka police report, his victim was 61 years old. She was found covered in blood. Her left eye was swollen shut.
Once inside the officer's home, the teenager got even more comfortable. He took off his shirt and wiped the sweat off his face. He was so relaxed, he didn't pick up on the fact that the officer had been on the phone with one of his colleagues who works for the Miami-Dade Police Department.
The homeowner spoke in police jargon to get authorities to the house.
When the teen saw patrol cars in the front yard he asked the homeowner, "What are we going to do?"
"I don't know what we're going to do, but you're going to jail," the officer told him.
Calmly, police cuffed and escorted the teen into an Opa Locka patrol car.
The teen's identity was not being revealed by police because he is a minor. He was charged with aggravated battery and was being held at the Department of Juvenile Justice. The Department of Children and Families was also investigating.
