GhLinks Media
Mario Bonilla, a 15 year old teenager has died and his friend was in critical condition after they stole a Maserati with the keys still in the ignition in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Florida officials announced on Sunday 15-year-old Mario Bonilla died in a fiery crash early that morning after his friend, Keondrick Lang, also 15, broke into an unlocked Maserati and drove it at a high rate of speed into the side of a building.
The luxury car then flipped over in the collision, and left their other friend, Malachi Daniels, 16 — who was sitting in the back seat — in critical condition.
Lang, meanwhile, is expected to survive, as the Pinellas County Sheriffs Department continues to investigate the fatal crash.
What happened according to Pinellas County Sheriffs Department
On October 2, 2022 at approximately 3:20 a.m., deputies responded to the area of 2998 58th Avenue North in unincorporated St. Petersburg in reference to a vehicle burglary in progress.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office K9 Unit, Flight Unit and patrol deputies responded to the area to locate the suspect.
Deputies took one subject into custody.
According to deputies, as the flight unit was still in the area, three more unrelated suspects were seen by the helicopter attempting to break into vehicles. The Flight Unit maintained visual on the suspects and witnessed them approach a 2016 Silver Maserati that was parked in a driveway near 62nd Avenue North and 28th Street North.
Deputies say one of the suspects, later identified as 15-year-old Keondrick Lang, used his t-shirt to open the vehicle door of the Maserati, which was unlocked and the keys were inside. The other two suspects, later identified as 16-year-old Malachi Daniels and 15-year-old Mario Bonilla, also got into the vehicle and headed eastbound on 62nd Street North with no headlights on.
Patrol deputies on the ground attempted to stop the vehicle, however the vehicle accelerated and reached a speed of over 80 miles per hour.
Deputies did not pursue the vehicle. Lang lost control of the vehicle in the area of 1024 62nd Avenue North, drove over a curb, hit the business sign and the vehicle flipped. Responding deputies immediately rendered aid to the suspects.
Bonilla was pronounced deceased at the scene, Daniels was transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries and Lang was transported to the hospital with critical injuries.
The investigation continues.
