Teens' story sunk
<p>Cody Broyles walks out of the water at Honeysuckle Beach on Hayden Lake after helping recover a submerged vehicle that was reported stolen Monday morning out of Coeur d'Alene.</p>
COEUR d'ALENE - Two Coeur d'Alene teenagers reportedly took a vehicle out for a joy ride, left the car submerged in Hayden Lake and told police officers a false story, according to the Coeur d'Alene Police Department.
At 5:25 a.m. Monday, Shelly Childers of Coeur d'Alene reported a 2001 Chevrolet Cavalier had been stolen from 3572 N. 15th St., police said. Childers told police she was awakened by her 18-year-old son, Richie L. Childers, who claimed two males had just kicked open the front door and stolen the car.
Shelley Childers discovered glassware and other items had been thrown about the kitchen, and her Cavalier was missing from the driveway, police said.
Richie Childers told officers the two males might have come to the home because they thought he had stolen an iPhone from them at a party.
About 8:50 a.m., Hayden city employees working near the Honeysuckle Beach boat ramp noticed a light-colored vehicle about 5 feet below the surface of Hayden Lake, nearly 75 feet from shore, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department.
Sheriff's divers entered the lake to investigate a Chevy Cavalier. No one was inside the vehicle. Deputies hooked a tow truck to the Cavalier and pulled it up the ramp.
Deputies notified Coeur d'Alene Police of the find. Officers again spoke with Richie Childers and also questioned his friend, a 17-year-old Coeur d'Alene male, police said.
Officers determined Childers and his friend had taken the Cavalier out for a joy ride during the night. Childers told police he thought the water near the Honeysuckle boat ramp was just a puddle, and drove into Hayden Lake. The car quickly submerged and the teens had trouble getting out of the vehicle.
They walked to a friend's house and were given a ride home, police said.
Childers and his friend kicked open the front door of the residence, police said. Childers quickly destroyed glassware in the kitchen while yelling for his mother to call the police. When she came out of her room, he explained to her the suspects had already fled with her car.
Richie Childers has been issued a citation for filing a false police report, police said. Additional charges are pending for taking a vehicle without the owner's consent, malicious injury to property and failure to purchase a driver's license.
The 17-year old male is also facing charges of filing a false report, police said.
Officers are suspicious alcohol was involved, but no alcohol-related charges have been filed, police said.