The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said a 12-year-old boy stole a car and crashed it into a Comcast pole in Port Charlotte.
He's now facing charges including grand theft and reckless driving.
The crash left tire marks in the dirt, pieces of the car's lights and tires, and a Comcast pole snapped in half, teetering on a cable line.
"I was sleeping, and I woke up to screaming and I heard something crash," 14-year-old Donald Ivery said.
He walked out to see the Dodge Charger flipped on its side, the airbag deployed, and smoke coming out of the engine compartment.
"I thought 'Is it on fire? Is everybody safe?'" Ivery said.
Ivery said he was shocked to see a 12-year-old boy emerge from the car.
The boy's mom, who said she was chasing after him in a separate car, helped him out of the Charger before the engine caught fire. She said the boy took the keys to a family friend's car who was staying with them.
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office said the boy left his home, drove a few blocks over, where he destroyed holiday decorations in someone's yard, then sped and took a left turn too quickly, crashing into the pole.
The boy walked away from the crash without a scratch and no one else was hurt.
"You're twelve! You should be inside playing games. I saw he had a MineCraft shirt, why aren't you inside playing MineCraft instead of driving a car?" Ivery said.
Ivery and his family were without power for a few hours.
Neighbors watched as crews pulled the Charger out of the wreck.
"They put him in handcuffs and took him in one of the vans," Ivery said. "You don't want that on your record when you're twelve."
The boy said the family friend whose car he stole was teaching him how to drive, so Sunday morning he decided to take his car for a spin on his own.
His mom said he'll be grounded, at least until the court costs and damage fees are paid, which is around $2,000 so far.
