MINNEAPOLIS (KFGO) – Minneapolis Police arrested a 10-year-old boy accused of recklessly driving a stolen car through a school playground packed with children.
The boy is also a suspect in more than a dozen crimes.
The reckless driving case happened Sept. 20 and the boy was booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center Thursday.
A surveillance video shows a car zig-zagging around the playground and school staff scrambling to get the children out of harm’s way. No one was struck or hurt.
Chief Brian O’hara says the boy has been arrested at least twice before and is a suspect in crimes that include auto theft, robbery, and assault with a dangerous weapon.
“It is unfathomable that a 10-year-old boy has been involved in this level of criminal activity without effective intervention,” 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 says the boy’s family is cooperating and have asked for help keeping their son and others safe.
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