***Update as of 6:30 p.m. on August 7, 2017***

Sheriff Bob Gualtieri held a press conference today to discuss the deaths of three juveniles and the arrest of three others following a fatal car crash in Palm Harbor on Sunday, August 6, 2017. Video of the press conference can be viewed on our YouTube page here: https://youtu.be/ngNYWRqNJl8

Sheriff Gualtieri also released surveillance video of the crash and dash cam footage. The video can be viewed on our YouTube page here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JFnQOa9g6E

***End of Update***

***Update as of 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 6, 2017 ***

Both Deyon Kaigler and Kamal Campbell charged with one count of grand theft auto and one count resisting arrest without violence. The Investigation is continuing.

***End of Update***

***Original news release below***

Who:

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
Patrol Operations Bureau
-MAIT Team
-Flight Unit
-K9 Unit
Support Services Bureau
-Forensics Unit

Keontae Brown (Deceased – Ford Explorer)
DOB: 12/06/2000 (16 years old)

Jimmie Goshey (Deceased – Ford Explorer)
DOB: 11/19/2002 (14 years old)

Dejarae Thomas (Deceased – Ford Explorer)
DOB: 10/18/2000 (16 years old)

Keondrae Brown (Injured – Ford Explorer)
DOB: 04/14/2003 (14 years old)

Kamal Campbell (In Custody – Chrysler Sebring)
DOB: 10/01/1998 (18 years old)

Deyon Kaigler (In Custody – Chrysler Sebring)
DOB: 02/02/2001 (16 years old)

Ricky Melendez (Victim minor injuries)
DOB: 07/22/1988
Vehicle: 1999 Toyota Camry

What:
Three Teen Boys Are Dead After Crashing Stolen Vehicle In Palm Harbor; Sheriff Gualtieri Says Auto Thefts By Youth Continue to Be An Epidemic Affecting The Entire County. All the teens have an extensive criminal history.

When:
The crash occurred on Sunday, August 6, 2017, at approximately 4:30 am.

Where:
The crash occurred at the intersection of US Highway 19 North and Tampa Road.

Why/How:

During a news conference held on the morning of Sunday, August 6, 2017, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri laid out the timeline of events that led up to the crash as follows:

On August 3, 2017, two vehicles were stolen, including a 2015 black Ford Explorer and a 2008 Chrysler Sebring, from a car lot in Clearwater.

Early this morning at approximately 1:00 AM, deputies spotted the stolen Ford Explorer at 580 and Belcher Road.  Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop and the Ford Explorer fled.  Deputies confirmed that the Ford Explorer was a stolen vehicle and that the vehicle was on a “hot list” bulletin.  Deputies did not pursue the vehicle and lost sight as it fled.

At approximately 4:00 AM deputies once again spotted the Ford Explorer and a blue 2008 Chrysler Sebring at East Lake Road north of Tampa Road.  The two stolen vehicles were running in tandem.  The two vehicles sped away from deputies and entered the East Lake Woodlands residential area.  Deputies locked down a perimeter and sought the assistance of the flight unit, but were initially unable to locate the vehicles.

A deputy traveling westbound on Tampa Road located both vehicles traveling west.  The vehicles were again engaged in tandem in a game of “cat and mouse” while accelerating and decelerating.  As a deputy attempted a traffic stop on the Ford Explorer on Tampa Road and Lake St. George, the Ford Explorer sped away at excessive speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour.  The deputy made a U-turn as he noticed the Sebring had decelerated behind him.   The deputy was traveling eastbound on Tampa Road in the opposite direction of the Ford Explorer when the crash occurred.

The Ford Explorer was reported to have struck a motorist, 29-year-old Ricky Melendez, who was traveling northbound on US Highway 19 at the intersection of Tampa Road.  The Ford Explorer went airborne and struck multiple parked vehicles in a car lot on the northwest corner of the intersection and continued to roll, flip and strike numerous fixed objects while still moving westbound on Tampa Road before coming to rest.

The four teenagers in the Ford Explorer where Keontae Brown, Jimmie Goshey, Dejarae Thomas and Keondrae Brown.

Keondrae Brown was taken to All Children's Hospital and the other three teenagers are deceased as a result of the crash.

The Sebring continued south on US Highway 19.  Deputies discovered the abandoned Sebring near Prince Philip Street just west of Keene Road, south of Sunset Point Road.   A short time later the two occupants, 16-year-old Deyon Kaigler and 18-year-old Kamal Campbell, who had fled on foot were taken into custody with the assistance of the K-9 Unit.

During the press conference Sheriff, Gualtieri reiterated how this auto theft epidemic is a deadly game and needs to stop.  The teenagers involved in this incident are prolific offenders and were already being monitored by the HOME Unit (Habitual Offender Monitoring Enforcement).

The investigation continues and updates will be provided via media alert.