NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – After a New Smyrna Beach golf course was heavily vandalized last month, Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood has finally revealed the suspect involved.
On Monday, Chitwood said that the suspect was determined to be a 17-year-old student at Atlantic High School.
According to investigators, the incident happened early in the morning on Oct. 19 at The Club at Venetian Bay golf course.
At the time, a truck was caught on surveillance footage doing “donuts” on the course, deputies said.
As such, the general manager later arrived at the course and discovered deep tire ruts and torn turf across the second green.
“They basically destroyed 7,000 square feet of the second hole, causing about $160,000 in damage,” Chitwood explained.
But after weeks of investigating, deputies finally managed to track down the student, who confessed to the crime, Chitwood said.
“(He) confessed to causing the damage because they were bored,” Chitwood added. “Didn’t think there was anything else to do at 2:30 in the morning.”
Now, the student is facing charges of criminal mischief, a second-degree felony.
In the meantime, Chitwood said that deputies are also looking into another suspect.
“We’re looking at the passenger in the car, who actually videoed the vandalism, and we’re waiting to see what comes back from the historical on his cell phone to see if he’ll be charged,” Chitwood stated.