3 TEENS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY: MISDEMEANOR OR FELONY?
AI GENERATED IMAGE OF 3 TEENS IN A CONSTRUCTION SITE. NEXT TIME. YOU NOW HAVE TO WONDER IF YOUR KIDS WOUND UP ON A SURVAILLANCE VIDEO OR NOT.
BY SNN.BZ STAFF
A Friendly Heads-Up Before Your Kids End Up in Handcuffs (Seriously)
Winter Park, Florida—our beautiful, charming neighborhood filled with families, professionals, and longtime residents who’ve seen it all. The 911 Dispatcher received several calls. Winter Park, FL is a great place to raise kids. They can ride their bikes, zip around on scooters, and enjoy a level of freedom we all remember fondly from our own childhoods.
But let’s talk about where that freedom sometimes veers off course—specifically, into construction zones. And not in a “hard hat and tour guide” kind of way.
Curiosity Killed the Misdemeanor (Yet May Create a Felony)
As our kids explore the neighborhood, they’ve gotten a little too curious. The 3 adolescents from last year, which are most often together, are now about the same height and have taken to wandering into buildings under construction. You know, those homes or commercial sites with big, bold signs that say things like “NO TRESPASSING” and “KEEP OUT.” They zip right by the signs and go on into the property.
Last year, these kids strolled right into a house being built on Killarney and Clay. The neighbors noticed flashlights inside and called 911. What did the kids say when confronted? “We’re just riding bikes and scooters. Mind your business.”
While on route back to their homes, one of them called his dad on his cell phone and said he was being “chased and yelled at” by strangers. He didn’t mention that he and his friends had been thrown out of a private property. Naturally, fearing for his son’s safety, the dad got in his car and showed up on our street – raging.
He asked me if I knew who it was that dared say anything to his kid. But here’s the kicker: Whether the house is finished or not doesn’t matter. Entering private property without permission is trespassing at best. And once there’s evidence of intent—or things go missing, or fires get lit (yes, that happened)—now we’re talking felony burglary.
Yes, a felony. That’s not a slap-on-the-wrist, “boys will be boys” situation. That’s “hire a lawyer and explain it to a judge” territory. What’s worse, what began as childish mischief has become a misdemeanor. But, if the site is under construction, the charge can easily become a felony. Trespassing charges are never forgotten as they become permanent in the child’s police record for life.
Teenagers Today, Court Dates Tomorrow?
Those same adolescents from last year, are now full-fledged teens. They’ve upped the ante—faster bikes, brasher attitudes, and unfortunately, a growing sense that they’re untouchable. Confront them, and you’ll likely get a side of eye-roll with a sprinkle of profanity.
One chilly night, two fires were set inside that construction site. That’s not harmless curiosity anymore—that’s criminal mischief. And the flames aren’t the only thing that could burn them—charges can, too. What you’d think would be charged as a misdemeanor can be easily jacked up to a felony if the property is under construction.
Just last night, the same teens were spotted hiding behind a pickup truck near the same property. Once again, they were reminded that they were trespassing. Once again, the response was less “Oops, sorry” and more “Who are you to tell me what to do?”
We Get It—They’re Still Kids. But The Law Doesn’t Care.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a witch hunt. These kids are part of our community, and many of us have watched them grow up. We want to keep them safe. But the law doesn’t make exceptions based on age when it comes to private property and potential criminal charges.
Florida attorney Mike Haber puts it best:
“If burglary had a son, his name would be trespass.”
And parents, we need your help. Talk to your kids. Make sure they understand that construction sites are not playgrounds. That entering a property—locked or not—without permission can put them on the wrong side of the law. Tell your kids that their bikes and scooters won’t outrun a squad car, and their phone won’t un-send a criminal record.
We love our neighborhood. We love our kids as well – all of them. Let’s work together to make sure their biggest teenage regret is an embarrassing TikTok dance—not a felony charge.
Stay safe, stay smart, and stay out of structures or building sites. Trespassing a construction site can go from a misdemeanor to a felony.
And your age doesn’t matter when it comes to being filmed by a surveillance camera. Your permission nor parental permission in the case of a minor, is required to bring that image in to the local sheriff’s department or police station or to publish it online.
We don’t want these kids to wind up with charges on their records that they’ll never be able to get rid of.
