A 15-year-old Florida boy who shares the name of the iconic, fictional crime boss portrayed by Marlon Brando in “The Godfather” faces multiple charges after a wild chase that ended in him being shot by authorities, according to reports.
Vito Corleone-Venisee?was charged with aggravated assault Friday in connection to the pursuit by Miami-Dade authorities that left him paralyzed from the neck down, the Miami Herald reported.
Young Vito and two other people were on their way to a car meetup in a 2021 Dodge Challenger on Jan. 16 when authorities spotted a stolen vehicle, a Dodge Charger, next to them, according to the paper.
Police gave chase to both Dodges after the drivers ignored orders to stop and sped off.
The Charger managed to escape, but the Challenger crashed through a fence and its three occupants, including Vito, bolted. Two of them fled, while Vito was shot, the Herald reported.
The teen, who was left paralyzed from the neck down, is being treated at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
He has also been charged with possession of a firearm by a minor and resisting an officer without violence, the newspaper reported.
Vito also reportedly faces charges for failing to appear in court late last year from 2020 arrests by different law enforcement agencies for attempted burglary and robbery.
His attorney Jarlens Princilis told WSVN that the bullet struck the teen in the back of the neck as he was fleeing.
Police recovered a handgun on the ground, as well as another pistol and an assault rifle inside the crashed Challenger.
“I did not get the chance to question him about the gun. He’s still regaining his memory after the incident,” Princilis told the station, adding that his client was not driving at the time of the attempted traffic stop.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has taken over the investigation into the shooting, but the lawyer pointed to where Vito was hit.
“It says to me that he was not facing the officer. It says to me that he was trying to get away from the officer and also says to me that it is impossible to attack someone if your back is facing them,” Princilis said.
