10-year-old Arrested for Driving Stolen Car on School Playground
Still image from surveillance video Sept. 20, 2024 in Minneapolis (See video in player above)
a 10-year-old boy was arrested after recklessly driving a stolen vehicle across a crowded playground in north Minneapolis, nearly striking several children.
It happened Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, and the boy was booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center on Thursday, Oct. 3 for probable cause second-degree assault.
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Surveillance video captured the moment as Nellie Stone Johnson School staff worked frantically to move children out of the way of the juvenile driver, who swerved across the grass and sidewalk between the school and playground. Fortunately, no children were injured during the incident.
Police records reveal that the boy, whose identity is withheld due to his age, has an extensive history of criminal activity. Since May 2023, he has accumulated over 30 police entries including multiple arrests related to auto theft. He is also a suspect in more than a dozen other cases, ranging from robbery to assault with a dangerous weapon. The remaining entries primarily involve cases related to running away, police said.
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Police officials expressed concern over the boy’s involvement in the dangerous crimes, especially at such a young age, and called for immediate intervention.
“It is unfathomable that a 10-year-old boy has been involved in this level of criminal activity without effective intervention,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said.
“Prison is not an acceptable option for a 10-year-old boy. But the adults who can stop this behavior going forward must act now to help this child and his family. This is only one example of the revolving door we're dealing with – arresting and re-arresting the same juveniles for auto-theft and other violent crimes. This is a complex issue, and we need every entity involved in intervention to come together immediately to establish short- and long-term solutions,” O’Hara said.
According to O’Hara, the boy’s family is cooperating with police and has asked for assistance in preventing further incidents.
The case remains under investigation as authorities assess the extent of the boy’s possible involvement in other crimes.
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