Several teens on a violent crime spree are now in custody.
Orange County deputies said those four teens and two adults terrorized an East Orlando neighborhood, committing violent home invasions.
As of now, investigators believe the teens are responsible for 18 armed robberies and home invasions. They said the teens made a series of bad, life-changing decisions.
The youngest suspects are 15 years old. The oldest is 23.
Deputies said the most recent crime occurred Monday night on the corner of Redditt Road and Mai Tai Drive. A truck driver was fixing his broken-down trailer on the side of the road when he was shot and robbed of his cell phone.
Many other armed robberies happened in the Mai Tai Mobile Home Park, Marbella Pointe Apartments and Stonebridge Landing Apartments.
On a nearby neighborhood street, one family was a victim of a home invasion.
“It’s a shame it’s getting this bad," Felix Rivera said.
Rivera is the neighborhood postal worker, who has been delivering mail on these streets for the past 21 years. He said crime along his route has escalated over the past few years.
“Somebody was following them and I guess they didn’t realize it," Rivera said. "By the time they realize it they went into the driveway and went into the house.”
But what investigators said is most alarming is that the suspects said they were having fun and would mock their victims.
“They became excited by the reactions that they got from the victims as they were robbing them at gunpoint," said Sgt. Tory Wright of the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
As of Thursday, five of the six suspects are in custody, facing a number of serious charges and more charges could be added.
Investigators are asking they all be charged as adults.
Under News 13’s crime guidelines, we will not name the juvenile suspects because of their age, unless they are charged as adults.