In Volusia County, Florida, one thing is for certain: Sheriff Mike Chitwood, isn’t messing around. He wants his community to be a safe place to live, and he will arrest you for your crimes, regardless of your age. Chitwood made headlines in September 2024 for making an 11-year-old take a “perp walk” for threatening to shoot up a school. Almost exactly a year later, Chitwood is back in the news for holding two juveniles accountable for their alleged behavior. This time, the suspects’ parents turned them in to police, which impressed many people.
During the overnight hours of September 14, 2025, deputies responded to an alarm call at Friendship Elementary School in Deltona. Bodycam footage shared on the Volusia Sheriff’s Facebook page shows destruction in the school’s media center: electronics smashed, books torn apart, and a blatant disregard for anything belonging to the school community.
Chitwood spread the word on social media that he wanted help identifying the suspects. He shared surveillance video from the scene, and the suspects’ mothers turned them in.
“I gotta give the moms credit. The called us. They didn’t tell them we were coming,” Chitwood said during a news conference he posted on TikTok. “When they were questioned, they confessed to what they did.”
The suspects, 12-year-old Felix Cohen Romero and 13-year-old Bentley Ryan Wehrly, allegedly did $50,000 worth of damage inside the media center. During police questioning, one of the boys reportedly turned over stolen property from the school to authorities, Chitwood said. The juveniles each face two counts of burglary, two counts of trespassing on school grounds, criminal mischief, and theft.
“We are thankful to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of this case to ensure the individuals responsible are held accountable,” Friendship Elementary shared in a statement obtained by People. “Just like with threats, our campuses have zero tolerance for destruction of property and vandalism,” the statement added.
“Good for you!! Actions have consequences,” someone cheered in the comment section on TikTok.
“Absolutely!!!!!!! What if one of these kids follow through with what was thought to be a “fake call”!?!? Please do!!!! I work in a school district in Florida! Take them all serious and charge them all,” another person agreed. “It is not funny in the slightest!!!! This is never ever a “prank”. Hopefully I will never see any of our students in your page!”
Chitwood has no plans to stop identifying juvenile felons and sharing their photos online.
“For all you bleeding hearts out there, look up Florida Law,” Chitwood said in a follow-up video. “If your little cherub gets arrested for a felony, arrested, I am allowed to publish their photo. They are getting their face posted. We are tired of the 1% dictating how the 99% of my students, and teachers, and administrators have to live.”
Chitwood seems to be onto something. Maybe if more local law enforcement were as tough on crime as he is, things could actually improve. Some leaders might want to start taking notes.
