3 teens die when car goes into pond

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Authorities say three teenage girls were found dead inside a stolen car after driving into a pond while fleeing sheriff’s deputies in Florida.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says the driver apparently missed a sharp turn near a cemetery and went into the water near St. Petersburg early Thursday. Investigators have identified the girls as 15-year-old Laniya Miller, 15-year-old Ashaunti Butler and 16-yearold Dominique Battle. It wasn’t immediately clear who was driving.

Gualtieri says a deputy spotted the car driving without headlights and tried to stop it. The driver fled, eventually running a red light.

The sheriff says the pond’s water was so murky that police could not find the car. He said the vehicle was like a “death chamber,” with its windows rolled up and doors closed. Divers later found it in 15 feet of water.