15-year-old faces felony charges after deadly Martin County crash involving stolen car

Colleen Wixon, Treasure Coast Newspapers
Updated ·2 min read
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STUART — A 15-year-old boy who survived a deadly car crash in which three people died is now facing charges in connection with the stolen vehicle.

The teen was arrested Friday in Palm Beach County with the help of the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office and was booked into the Martin County Jail. He will be moved to juvenile detention after booking, a spokesperson said.

The Boynton Beach teen was charged with two felony counts of possession of stolen credit cards, two felony counts of possession of personal identification information and one count of resisting arrest without violence, officials said. All felonies were enhanced to second-degree felonies because the teen was wearing a ski mask at the time, officials said.

The teen is one of two survivors in the crash, which happened about 12:39 a.m. Tuesday, when Martin County sheriff's deputies learned of a stolen Mazda on High Meadows Avenue in Palm City. The vehicle careened into the St. Lucie River near Southwest Kanner Highway and Southeast Cove Road. The bodies of three youths — Geovany Alexis, 18; Jerry Choisy, 19; and Marcus Griffin, 17, all of Lake Worth Beach — were pulled from the St. Lucie River. Choisy and Alexis were recovered Wednesday. Griffin was retrieved Tuesday from the Mazda, which was reported stolen out of Boynton Beach.

The vehicle was stolen out of Boynton Beach, said John Budensiek, chief deputy for the Martin County Sheriff's Office. The 15-year-old was found with two credit cards belonging to the vehicle's owner and husband, he said.

The investigation continues, Budensiek said. Law enforcement is working to trace the group's steps that night and determine who was driving the vehicle, he said. What is known is that the group drove around a High Meadows community, he said.

Martin County Fire Rescue crews work a crash scene early Tuesday in the St. Lucie River at Southwest Kanner Highway. Fire rescue dive teams worked in limited visibility in an area prone to alligators to find and recover the body of a young man.
Martin County Fire Rescue crews work a crash scene early Tuesday in the St. Lucie River at Southwest Kanner Highway. Fire rescue dive teams worked in limited visibility in an area prone to alligators to find and recover the body of a young man.
Martin County sheriff’s officials ride the St. Lucie River on Tuesday just west of Kanner Highway and just south of Cove Road. Several hours earlier a vehicle reportedly stolen out of Boynton Beach crashed in the waterway.
Martin County sheriff’s officials ride the St. Lucie River on Tuesday just west of Kanner Highway and just south of Cove Road. Several hours earlier a vehicle reportedly stolen out of Boynton Beach crashed in the waterway.

An 18-year-old, who also survived the crash, was taken into custody and released.

Sheriff William Snyder has said the teens were in a stolen car. When they were apprehended, there were two stolen cars and one car burglary reported in the area, but it is unknown whether the teens in the crash were involved, he said earlier this week.

1 dead, 2 in custody, 1 unaccounted for after stolen vehicle crash in Martin County

Two bodies retrieved from St. Lucie River after car crash in Martin County ID'd

Third body recovered after stolen car crashed into St. Lucie River

Colleen Wixon is a reporter with TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers. Contact her at colleen.wixon@tcpalm.com.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Teen survivor of Martin County deadly car crash now facing charges