By staff reports
CAPTIVA, Fla. — Two North Oldham High School star basketball players were arrested on burglary and grand theft charges for allegedly stealing and damaging a golf cart while vacationing with their families in Florida, according to arrest reports issued by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and obtained by The Oldham Era from television station WBBH NBC2 in Fort Myers, Fla.
Jack Fischer, 18, of Prospect and Grant Neal, 18, of Prospect allegedly stole the golf cart from a watersports business located in Captiva, Fla., according to the arrest reports.
Both are seniors at the school and led the boys basketball team in scoring and rebounding last season while breaking the school record for wins in a season.
Both were allegedly seen on a surveillance camera entering the business, which was closed, around 10:45 p.m. April 1, according to the arrest report. They could be seen stealing a golf cart, which they returned about two hours later with what police said was an estimated $4,000 in damages.
Police said they covered the golf cart, valued at $14,000, with tarps to conceal the damages.
Earlier that evening, Fischer and Neal were spotted by police driving the golf cart on nearby Sanibel Island. The officer, unaware at the time that the cart was stolen, offered to teach them to drive it safely. The officer ID’d both students and had them follow him to back to Captiva, a resort island off the west coast of Florida where they were staying.
After the damage to the golf cart was reported by the business owner, police contacted the fathers of Fischer and Neal before placing the two students under arrest.
Each were released on a $10,000 bond for the burglary and $15,000 for grand larceny.
They will next appear in court on May 6 in Lee County Circuit Court.
Matt Walker, athletic director for North Oldham High School, declined to comment.