NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — A 17-year-old has been arrested for allegedly causing significant damage to a golf course in New Smyrna Beach on October 19.
The teenager is accused of driving onto the green at the second hole of The Club at Venetian Bay and performing doughnuts. On November 5th, NSBPD Detective met with the General Manager of Venetian Bay Golf Course, who estimated the damage at approximately $126,000.
Benjamin Herring, the golf course’s general manager, reported the damage and gave a sworn statement to the police. “The damaged turf area was about 7,000 square feet,” Herring stated.
The incident happened early in the morning, with witness Joseph Riggie reporting that he heard teenagers and saw a vehicle damaging the golf course. Riggie’s statement was documented and submitted as evidence.
Detectives obtained statements from two juveniles who claimed to know about the incident through social media. A friend of the arrested teen, who was present during the vandalism and recorded the damage, said the act was unplanned and they got caught up in the moment.
Both teens deleted the videos from their phones, though the Digital Forensics Unit examined their devices. The 17-year-old initially refused to comment but later acknowledged the vandalism, expressing remorse.
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