Sandusky boys charged for joy riding in stolen van

Felony charges await two of three Sandusky boys arrested Monday night after joy-riding in a stolen van.Police charged the 15-year-old driver with receiving stolen property, a fourth-degree felony, as well as obstructing official business, no driver's license, driving on sidewalks and reckless operation. A 15-year-old passenger was charged with receiving stolen property, a felony, and obstructing official business, while the third boy, 11, was charged with obstructing official business. The two passengers agreed to speak with police after they were arrested, but the driver remained tight-lipped and asked for an attorney, according to a police report. The Plymouth Voyager was stolen Monday morning from a church parking lot on Hancock Street. The van's owner and a friend said they were sitting on a porch at about 9 p.m. when they heard the van's distinct sputtering sound as it approached. They hopped in a car and chased after it, triggering a short-lived pursuit. The van sped past the Meigs Street police station, where Lt. Mike Campbell was pulling out in his cruiser. Campbell chased after the van as it whipped across the lawn at Battery Park. Near the Sandusky Bay Pavilion, the three boys leapt out of the van and fled as it was still moving. The van stopped after striking a transformer box, police said. Teens need to think more about the consequences of their actions, Campbell said. "Any one of them could have been killed jumping out of a moving vehicle like that," he said. "Or even worse, it could have hit someone else and they'd be facing murder charges. A split second can change your life forever."