E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSSAN RAFAEL, Calif. -- Friends of a teenager accused of stealing a $200,000 sports car in a spectacular escapade last year tried but failed on Friday to bust him out of a juvenile detention facility on his birthday, investigators said on Friday.
Max Wade turned 18 on Friday while being held in a juvenile hall in San Rafael on charges he stole a celebrity chef's Lamborghini in a Hollywood-like acrobatic heist. He also faces a possible life sentence for allegedly shooting into a truck carrying a girl who had spurned his romantic overtures.
Following the botched attempt to free him, Wade was transferred to a county jail, as scheduled, because he had reached the legal age for adult incarceration.
As first reported in the Marin Independent Journal, two suspects tried to cut into Marin County's juvenile hall at 4:30 a.m. (8:30 a.m. ET) Friday with bolt cutters and a sledge-hammer.
Read the story on NBCBayArea.com
A juvenile hall counselor saw a sledgehammer striking the window of Wade's cell, said Michael Daly, who runs the facility.
The counselor immediately removed the birthday boy, whose bail is set at $2 million. But whoever was trying to set him free had vanished before law enforcement arrived on the scene.
'Yellow Lambo'
The San Rafael teen is facing charges of trying to gun down a Mill Valley couple in April, as well as stealing Fieri's Lamborghini during an elaborate, MacGyver-like heist from a San Francisco warehouse in 2011.
In May, authorities found the $200,000 2008 Gallardo Spyder convertible Lamborghini at a Point Richmond storage unit, while investigating the attempted murder case from the previous month. Also discovered inside the unit: An AK-47 assault rifle, a second assault rifle, shotgun shells, electronics for jamming cell phones, false IDS for California, Florida and New York, and a San Francisco police uniform and badge.
In an interview, Fieri gave "big props" to the police for finding his "yellow Lambo," and he declined to say much more as the case was being investigated.
Wade has pleaded not guilty to the crimes, and he's being held on $2 million bail.
His lawyer, Charles Drescow, told the newspaper that he believes the teen's cases should be tried separately, and the famous Lamborghini charges should be tried in juvenile court.
If convicted of all counts, the newly turned adult could face a maximum of 30 years in prison.
NBCBayArea.com and Reuters contributed to this report.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Small plane crashes in West LA; 1 dead
- Ex-Border Patrol agents guilty in human smuggling case
- Air Force relieves training commander over sex scandal
- Human remains confirmed to be missing college student
- Hero boy, 4, dies after saving 3-year-old girl in pool
- Vietnam veteran receives Silver Star 44 years after service
- Hundreds pay respects to Sikh temple victims
- Video: Near-death plane crash caught on video
Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
Leave a Comment:
A juvenile who steals an ultra-sports car, I can almost [but not quite] applaud that act. If you're going to steal a car, why bother with with a Buick Electra, or a Hyundai Elantra.
But somebody who shoots into a car trunk containing a girl? He belongs in jail, and for a very long time.
Where are the outside cameras? Don't they have the ability to view these kinds of attempts? This is ridiculous!
Have no fear. The idots who tried to break him out will be posting a you-tube video of their failed attempt any minute now.
truck, not trunk...
Jail time? Really? What he needs is counseling. We wonder why America is so @!$%#ed up.
Tom Renda-3189022, Immediately after reading the article I thought, "no posting the stupidity on youtube?". Thanks I thought it might just be me. Exactly how stupid does have to be to break into a detention facility? Answer: very. The car thief will soon if not already has found out that he isn't in kiddy timeout anymore.
Stupid people generally have stupid friends.
Sam-1938777
Jail time? Really? What he needs is counseling. We wonder why America is so @!$%#ed up.
Counseling for attempted murder? Are you kidding me? Jail time is exactly what he needs, and lots of it.
I agree, Wexy. This is obviously one more teen that has never been held accountable for his behavior. It's time to make him accountable.
A kid does not start with stealing cars and attempted murder. He works his way up to that level of crime. I'm not opposed to counseling, but he can receive it in jail. His behavior will not change by slapping him on the wrist and making him attend a weekly counseling session. He needs to understand, in a very real way, what consequences are.
He needs some serious jail time.
Yup, Artie, you got me. I hadn't had my coffee yet. By the time that I did, the 5 minute editing window had expired.
But the principle is the same. A person who fires a gun at another person needs some serious jail time.
Sam-1938777
Jail time? Really? What he needs is counseling. We wonder why America is so @!$%#ed up.
You wonder why America is so effed up? Counseling for a car thief who also tried to kill people. Counseling? Really? Lay off the pipe man - nothing is going to fix this kid. He is and will continue to be a career criminal. Thanks for the good laugh.
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, et al. are responsible for 1000's of deaths due to their blatant lies in order to involve us in the Iraq war, but their only consequence is retirement in the lap of luxury.
Justice is definitely deaf, dumb and blind in this country.
@ Sam-1938777 What you need is counseling that's why you are all Fk'ed up
And Debi-1314897 Counseling may help a person like you too, but that is questionable. If you wern't so absent minded you may recall the Bulk of your elected leaders voted unanimously for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars—that does include your Ms. Clinton..
another MSNBC gaff?
However goes on to say,
uuuuuuh, so what one is he looking at? 30 yrs, or life for maximum? hehehe...
as far as counseling goes, the kid needed a good strap across his behind yrs ago, (just guessing). he's damaged goods, and unless he wants to change, we will not. he, obviously has a long way to go, and a lot of proving to do. to bad it will be with his new cell mate bubba.
maybe is some parents sat their kids getting into trouble, at least sit them down, and point out how this guys life is over, perhaps a change? or do parents think this is the schools/ governments job?
Sam-1938777
Jail time? Really? What he needs is counseling. We wonder why America is so @!$%#ed up.
(The un-official Newsvine Editor has taken the liberty to re-write this...)
Counseling? What he needs is Jail time. We wonder why America is so @!$%#ed up.
Tiger Boy: Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld were the orchestrators, while the rest played in the band.
Is it a 30 year maximum or life? Poorly written at best.
You are right and the so called NBC reporters and jounalists still do not know what an assault rifle is. Once again people an assault rifle is a fully automatic rifle. The rifles found were semi automatic which means they are not assault rifles. Stupid, stupid, stupid, or more likely a bunch of gun hating liberals who spread lies at will.
I wondered the same thing.
Obviously if it's scary looking, and sort of black and creepy, it's an "assault rifle."
Yeah, that bugs me too.
That's because the story was written by unpaid interns who smoke reefer in the bathrooms.
But hey, soon they will graduate and maybe they will become marginally paid, reefer smoking staffers!
Reefer. What year is it 1955?
30 years to life seems a little too severe for these acts since the car was recoverd and nobody hit by his dumb act of shooting at the woman of his "dreams". 10 or so years seems enough for these acts as he is barely a legal adult now and will soon come to realize that life isn't a movie or some reality show.
Artie, this "boy" was well on his way to being a hardened criminal. Do the crime, do the time.
@commonsense
Keep in mind that some of us "gun hating liberals" are also veterans with combat experience, and have a pretty good idea what constitutes an assault rifle.
And a good many of us are also gun owners.
The main infantry weapon of the U. S. Army is the M16A2/A4 or the M4A2. These rifles are semi-automatic and burst, not full auto, but they are assault rifles. I don't know if there is a legal definition of assault rifle, but in my mind, the concept of an assault rifle is not just the rate of fire, but also a weapon built to accept a quickly replaceable high capacity magazine. It should be built for minimal recoil and high mobility. Those features also help distinguish an assault rifle from a light machine gun, which is also fully automatic.
i have military time too, and i think i have a good idea what one is. to you Severed Head in a Jar, it sounds like any rifle would be an assault rifle?
JJ, is somewhat correct, but then i have read in past the same weapon by MSNBC to be called a light machine gun. however, by rights it really should be based on (what is or isnt considered an assault rifle) should be the person in question at the point of discovery of a crime that took, or about to take place with the weapon involved. for instance, the mag cap of a hunting rifle and military grade sniper rifles are variant between the 2, and one is as deadly as the next, and it all boils down to the shooters ability to hit the target.
so being i used one or the other to commit the same crime, it was still an assault on someones life, with the intent to kill, successful or not... case solved. if the government wants to put an enhancer of the death penalty when a MILITARY GRADE, (the actual term everyone is questioning here, and was not used in this crime of question) im all for it.
personally i think anyone found dead to rights of, in some form of assault resulting in murder should be put to death within 5 yrs, and can file up 1 appeal per year for review of innocence. no matter the weapon, even if it was a pencil. you intend to kill someone and succeed, who cares how you did it? it is still murder, and the taking of a persons life. too many smaller laws in our system that cater to the violent criminal, while the victims life is lost, or ruined. criminals have next to the lap of lux, as long as they can fit in some where. tv's, contraband, radio, cable... free food, room and board. one should almost think "hell, lock us up, let them loose and take care of us for a while?" at some point.
we have advanced in the medical fields in terms of a no doubt guilt, this should be no issue, and save us trillions.
Last sentance in article says it plain "If convicted of all counts, the newly turned adult could face a maximum of 30 years in prison."
And at the top of the article it says:
He also faces a possible life sentence for allegedly shooting into a truck carrying a girl who had spurned his romantic overtures.
Also when it's 4:30am in California it's 7:30am in Eastern Time zone.
Folks, do we know for sure the rifles aren't fully automatic. Friend of mine bought one off craigs list last year and guess what...it was a fully automatic bushmaster though it was not advertized as such!
Another budding criminal that society has to put up with.
You mean Another budding criminal that society has to SUPPORT! (Pay for food, housing and medical for the next 30 years)
At least the little @!$%# is off the streets and sounds like a regular socialpath!
So what's your solution; immediate execution for all convicted felons? I guess it would cut down on the prison population.
It's such a shame that this kids life is just getting started and already this @!$%#ed up.
Another teen boy raised on video games as a substitute for reality.
If you parents don't want your boys to end up like Junior here, take those games and thow them in the trash.
Before your kid winds up in the dumpster instead
Yeah, Tom, and we need to take pro football and UFC tournaments off the airwaves, too. Lots of senseless violence there, too.
Well, this kid turned out to be a real winner. I bet his parents are so proud.
He probably didn't have parents around much or that gave him any attention...
He certainly didn't have parents around that made him face consequences to bad behavior. He didn't just wake up one day and decide to engage in this level of crime. He worked his way up to it.
Someone needs to teach him that there are consequences to your behavior. His parents didn't bother to do it. Looks like it is up to the criminal justice system.
sounds like mom and dad should have spanked their child, and maybe they should serve time for raising a kid that steal $200,000 cars, but then again it is California and all bets are off
Car theft? That's what everyone is focused on? Stealing the sports car is just a bit of diversionary fluff to sell this story. It's the attempted murder part that you should pay serious attention to. He's not facing 30 years in prison for stealing a car, ffs.
I agree Mr. Thanatos. The article seems to romanticize the car theft and play down the attempted murder. As well as the stock pile of weapons, fake I.D.'s etc.
Should have read " the young criminal is facing charges of cold-blooded attempted murder as well as grand theft auto. Police have offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of his accomplices."
When Max Wade gets to the pen, he's gonna have to change is last name to "Wide".
this kid has a real flair for the dramatic --- it's like he is on a hollywood set somewhere ---- what a nut! reality check.
They've got Mr. Wade. Now they need to go after his buds who tried to break him out of jail.
"Its bud nippin' time!"
Sounds good to me as they probably have more "assault" or semi-automatic weapons, ammunition, anti-theft devices, stolen goods and fake IDs around as well that should be out of circulation.
When does this little creep reach the adult age for castration?
This is obviously a bad guy who does not believe the law applies to him.
He should be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible under the law.
In California?
Oh come on now, it was just youthful pranks. You know, boys will be boys. Yup that's the ticket, he was just having fun he didn't mean anything by it. After all, he is misunderstood. He has emotional problems. He is sorry and he won't do it again. That is the kind of things alot of parents say right up until the state sticks a needle into his arm. Well, many states, not Commiefornia.
"Commiefornia"? You would ascribe the apologists' mantra(according to you) to a communist regime?
Silly people, start making sense...it makes for a better read.
Commy-Semi-Socialist gets me a bigger appartment. Gots my vote.
Save money! Mandatory death penalty for any conviction for anything.
That'll show 'em.
Eighteen and has storage units, guns, fake id's, police uniforms and a stolen lambo? Wants a car? steals it. Wants a girl? She says no...shoot her. I know how this story ends. Remember the kids name as it's likely you'll see him on death row.
Yeah, he'll either be on death row or running a Fortune 500 corporation. It really is going to depend on how much money and influence this kid's father has. Most people would spend a long time in prison for walking away from their Texas Air National Guard duties, but not everyone.
Wrong board Mr. Thanatos. Talking about a kid in CA. The board you are looking for is located on The Left! Idiot.
Voting for your own comment? You are pathetic. Semper Fi, dolt.
This thug is dangerous. I say put him down for the attempted murder of the girl.
He'll have a reality show or like other idiots have his lawyers start talking insanity.
Now... Since they had to mention the big bad AK-47, I want to know what the "Second Assault Rifle" was?Probably a .22 bolt action but that wouldn't cause as much fear as saying Assault Rifle now would it.
These kids have obviously been watching too many crime movies like Reindeer Games. Stunts like that work in the movies, but in real life you're most likely get busted and end up in the slammer like these kids did.
The kid had two "assault rifles" and wasn't charged with having illegal weapons, machine guns? Oh, that's right, they were not "assault rifles", they were semi-automatic rifles. Damn, I wish NBC could get their terminology correct!
All of this makes me want to vomit these are spoiled brats that have never been told "NO" and mean it so they will continue on their lawless ways until one day they are stopped forever and still the parents will say he or she was a good child I don't understand what went wrong.
That is right where are the cameras around these prisons so they know exactly what happened?
And who says todays kids have no ambition?
A lot of them have more balls than brains.
Parental discipline is necessary, but illegal. How unfortunate for all of us.
The future looks bleak.
Parental discipline is not illegal. But neglect is, and this kid's parents should be charged right along with him.
Pay attention, this is a lifelong criminal in the making.
or already made...
another fine example of no parents to teach the kid life is NOT a movie, I was 18 and crazy once, but this kid is an over the top spoiled dbag who desperately needs a dose of reality
Ferris Bueller's got nothing on this kid
Obama has already agreed to give him a Presidential pardon as long as he and his family promise to vote for him in the up coming election. He's scheduled to then head to death row and make the same promise to those who are awaiting execution. This comes on the heels of his promise to Mexican illegals to give them all green cards for their votes....Pandering at it's best Obama style
Peolpe on death row can not vote. And illegals can not vote. How do you dream up all this stupid stuff anyway.
A chef (cook) can afford a $200,000 sports car??? He's a cook not a brain surgeon!!!!
A chef is not a cook, there's a difference.
A "celebrity chef", so probably someone from one of those TV cooking competitions.
U mad because Guy Fierri has made a success of his life and you haven't, Dave? He worked, earned his money, and purchased his car. The point of the article is the kid who thought he was entitled to take it just because he wanted it.
Sniff sniff.