Elbridge, N.Y. — Five young people decided early Tuesday morning that they wanted to take some golf carts for a joy ride, according to State Police.
At first, they couldn’t start the carts at the Millstone Golf Course on Route 5 in the town of Elbridge, according to the course owner. They eventually found a way to get three started.
The young people got more than a mile away from the course on the carts, crossing over into Cayuga County, before police pulled them over, according to State Police. The five fled on foot but were all captured.
The four teens and 19-year-old man were charged with possession of stolen property, troopers said. The youngest was 14 years old, they said.
Paul Fietta, the owner of the Millstone Golf Course, said the teens had first entered the course at some point around midnight or in the early morning hours.
The teens had attempted to break into or start some of the golf carts using a screwdriver or other tool, but were unsuccessful, Fietta said. Some carts were damaged.
Fietta said that the teens eventually found a key for the older, less used fleet of carts and managed to get some started. The teens did not damage the course, he said.
At around 2:26 a.m., the police were called to Meadowlark Drive in the town of Weedsport after reports of a suspicious incident, troopers said. Meadowlark Drive is about a mile from the golf course.
The police attempted to pull the group over, but they fled on foot before being quickly apprehended by law enforcement, said State Police spokesperson Lynnea Crane.
Crane said the motivation behind the theft was just to go ride the carts around.
The four teens were all issued juvenile appearance tickets and released to their parents or guardians, troopers said.
Scott Evans, 19, in addition to the stolen property charge, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child. He was processed in Auburn and is now awaiting arraignment in the Cayuga County Jail, police said.
Fietta said damage to the carts included broken keyholes, scratches, a broken windshield and a missing bumper. He said the carts are not back in operation.
This is one of three golf carts that were stolen from Millstone Golf Course in the town of Elbridge on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025.Paul Fietta
Staff writer Finn Lincoln covers breaking news, crime and public safety. He can be reached at flincoln@syracuse.com.
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