Tampa Bay’s Gerald McCoy forgives the teenager accused of breaking into his house and assaulting his father

Gerald McCoy has forgiven the 17-year-old boy who police say broke into his house and injured his father last week. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle also is asking for prayers on the young runaway’s behalf.

“I would just advise people to just pray for him,” McCoy said Thursday. “Just a kid who is lost and thinks that that’s the way to make it, and it’s not.”

A week earlier, McCoy was at team meetings in a Tampa hotel hours before the Buccaneers’ “Thursday Night Football” game against Atlanta when the boy entered his home through an unlocked door and placed several items, including an Xbox One and some pellet guns, into his backpack.

He fled, without the backpack, after being confronted by McCoy’s 59-year-old father, Gerald Sr., who suffered a broken wrist because of the incident.

Police eventually found the boy hiding in a neighbor’s house. He was arrested and charged with armed burglary of an occupied dwelling, armed burglary of an unoccupied dwelling, grand theft, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.

McCoy said he might try to visit the teen, who has arrest warrants outstanding in two other Florida counties.

“Just a lost kid,” the father of four said. “[He] probably just needs some guidance. Ain’t nothing to be upset over. It happens.”

He added: “Maybe it was supposed to happen that way. Maybe he was supposed to break into my house. ... I forgive him.”

charles.schilken@latimes.com

Twitter: @chewkiii