CBS 12’s Al Pefley says Martin County deputies are now putting out a public safety alert that sounds more like something you’d expect for an adult repeat offender, not a kid.
Pefley reports the focus is a 13-year-old from Stuart named Jesus Gaspar Rojas, and deputies say he’s tied to an 11-felony burst of crime in only a few days.
The part that’s setting people off is what Pefley emphasizes from the start: the sheriff’s office says the teen has been in and out of the juvenile system repeatedly, and he’s back out again.
That’s the core of the outrage. Not just the number of charges, but the feeling that the system keeps resetting like nothing happened.
And if you live in the Port Salerno area and you’re waking up to broken property, a missing golf cart, or a car that looks like somebody tried to rip its heart out, “reset” is not what you want to hear.
What Deputies Say Happened In Just A Few Days
Pefley explains the sheriff’s office describes this as a concentrated spree in the south Stuart / Port Salerno area.
He reports investigators say Rojas was arrested and booked on 11 felony counts, including:
- Three counts of grand theft auto,
- Four burglaries,
- One count of possession of burglary tools, and
- Three felony criminal mischief counts.
Pefley adds that deputies say they’ve identified at least six victims connected to the spree.
According to Pefley, investigators say the alleged behavior wasn’t one clean theft and done. It was a messy trail of break-ins, damage, and repeated attempts.
He says the arrest report describes things like breaking into vehicles, destroying steering columns, stealing three golf carts, and damaging them.
It’s the kind of crime pattern that makes a neighborhood feel hunted, because it suggests the offender isn’t just grabbing one thing and disappearing. They’re coming back out again and again.
Pefley also reports the sheriff’s office says some of the car theft incidents included attempts – meaning the teen allegedly tried to steal vehicles and couldn’t always make them go.
That detail matters, because attempted theft still leaves you with a destroyed steering column and a car you can’t trust, even if it’s still sitting in the driveway.
“A One-Man Crime Spree,” The Sheriff Says
Pefley’s report leans heavily on Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek, who describes the situation in blunt terms.
Budensiek told Pefley, “We’ve had a one-man crime spree that’s happened down in the South Stuart area.”
Pefley says Budensiek is pointing directly at Rojas as the one behind it.
Budensiek also described one of the attempted vehicle theft patterns in a way that almost makes it sound like an amateur tutorial gone wrong.
In Pefley’s telling, Budensiek said the cars were unlocked, and the teen allegedly got inside and started trying to “punch the steering wheel” but couldn’t get the cars to start.
Budensiek told Pefley, “He got into the cars… and began trying to punch the steering wheel, but was unsuccessful in getting those cars to crank up. He just didn’t know what he was doing.”
That quote carries two emotions at once.
On one hand, it’s almost surreal to picture a 13-year-old doing that. On the other hand, for the victim, it’s not surreal at all. It’s expensive, it’s invasive, and it’s a punch to your sense of safety.
Pefley also says Budensiek reported the teen allegedly stole golf carts, which might sound almost “lighter” than car theft until you remember those carts are often essential transportation in certain neighborhoods, and they’re not cheap.
And Pefley makes clear deputies say those golf carts weren’t just taken—they were damaged too.
So even if you recover property, you’re still left holding the bill.
Why He Keeps Getting Released
This is where Pefley’s report gets into the part people argue about the hardest: what law enforcement says it can’t do.
Pefley includes an exchange where he asks the obvious question, basically: why can’t you keep him locked up?
Budensiek’s answer to Pefley is that the juvenile system uses a point system, and the teen allegedly doesn’t score high enough to be held longer.
Budensiek told Pefley, “He’s a juvenile, and according to DYS, there’s a point system that’s already in place… he just doesn’t score high enough at this point.”
Budensiek then goes further in Pefley’s report, saying the teen “needs to be locked up,” but also that the teen “needs help.”
That’s not a contradiction. It’s the uncomfortable truth people don’t like to say out loud: sometimes the same kid can be both a danger to others and also a kid in trouble who needs intervention.
Budensiek told Pefley, “He needs to be locked up. He actually needs help. He comes from deplorable living conditions.”
Pefley also reports Budensiek said Rojas’ father was in the U.S. illegally and was deported, and the teen now lives with his mother.
That’s sensitive territory, and it can turn into lazy political talking points fast. But as reported by Pefley, Budensiek is presenting it as part of a broken family situation surrounding a kid who’s spiraling.
Pefley also notes Budensiek’s frustration with the limits on detention time.
Budensiek told Pefley that under the law, authorities can only hold a juvenile for up to 21 days, and he believes some juveniles should be held longer.
And Pefley says Budensiek wants more flexibility to go to a judge in certain cases and ask for longer detention.
That’s the debate in one sentence: public safety versus juvenile detention limits, with a kid at the center.
Neighbors Say It’s Scary – And Also Sad
Pefley doesn’t just quote deputies. He includes residents in Port Salerno, and their reactions sound like a mix of fear and disbelief.
Pefley reports Alberta Powell, a local resident, said bluntly: “He needs to be removed from the house.”
Powell told Pefley, “Something needs to be done because… these kids just can’t run the street and take advantage of old people like me.”
That line hits because it points to what scares people most: vulnerability.
If you’re older, or you live alone, or you’re not physically able to defend your property or yourself, the idea of someone repeatedly prowling through neighborhoods isn’t just annoying. It feels threatening.
Pefley also includes Josefina Alvarez, another Port Salerno resident, who describes the situation in emotional terms.
Alvarez told Pefley, “For me that sounds very sad, very sad and dangerous for the neighborhood.”
That’s a more nuanced reaction than people expect.
Because yes, it’s dangerous. But it’s also sad. A 13-year-old doesn’t rack up 11 felonies in a vacuum. Something is broken somewhere, and pretending it’s all simple evil doesn’t fix anything.
At the same time, the neighborhood can’t be the sacrificial offering while adults argue about systems.
When residents are saying they’re being taken advantage of, that’s the moment when compassion has to include the victims too.
The Bigger Question: What Happens Before Someone Gets Hurt?
Pefley ends up circling back to what feels like the real worry underneath the sheriff’s public alert.
Not just “this kid stole things,” but “what happens next?”
Pefley says Budensiek clearly believes the teen needs rehabilitation, and he’s hoping the courts can find a place where that can happen.
But the sheriff’s office also appears to be warning the public because, as Pefley reports it, they think their tools are limited and the teen is still in the community.
Here’s my honest reaction: when a sheriff is publicly warning residents about a specific 13-year-old, that’s not normal.
That’s a sign of desperation. It’s law enforcement basically saying, “We’re arresting him, but it’s not stopping.”
And that’s also risky, because it invites the public to feel like they have to solve the problem themselves, which is the last thing you want in a tense community.
If Budensiek is right, and this kid “needs help,” then the worst possible outcome is the system failing until a resident confronts him, something goes sideways, and now you have a tragedy stacked on top of property crime.
Pefley’s report has all the ingredients of a bigger story: juvenile policy, supervision failures, family instability, neighborhood fear, and a legal structure that might not be built for rare cases where a very young offender is extremely active.
A Community Stuck Between Sympathy And Anger
Al Pefley’s reporting paints a picture of a community trying to process something that doesn’t fit neatly into a headline.
A 13-year-old, 11 felony charges, multiple victims, and then release again.
Sheriff John Budensiek told Pefley he believes the teen needs to be locked up and also needs help, and he blamed a juvenile points system that doesn’t keep the teen detained.
Residents like Alberta Powell and Josefina Alvarez told Pefley they feel fear, frustration, and sadness at the same time.
That mix makes sense. You can feel sorry for a kid’s situation while also being furious that your neighborhood feels like a target.
If the courts and juvenile system don’t find a real intervention path soon – one that protects the public and addresses whatever is driving this behavior – this story is going to repeat.
And the next version might not just be about stolen carts and busted steering columns. It might be about someone getting hurt.
Raised in a small Arizona town, Kevin grew up surrounded by rugged desert landscapes and a family of hunters. His background in competitive shooting and firearms training has made him an authority on self-defense and gun safety. A certified firearms instructor, Kevin teaches others how to properly handle and maintain their weapons, whether for hunting, home defense, or survival situations. His writing focuses on responsible gun ownership, marksmanship, and the role of firearms in personal preparedness.
