MPD Arrests 10-year-old for Driving a Stolen Car and Nearly Striking Children on a Playground

Minneapolis Police Department

Public Information Release

MPD Arrests 10-year-old for Driving a Stolen Car and Nearly Striking Children on a Playground

October 4, 2024(MINNEAPOLIS) Police Chief Brian O’Hara said MPD officers have arrested a 10-year-old boy for driving a stolen vehicle recklessly across a crowded school playground. The boy was booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center on Thursday for probable cause 2nd degree assault. The incident happened on September 20th, 2024, at Nellie Stone Johnson School in north Minneapolis. Fortunately, no children on the playground were struck by the driver. (24-270111)

Police records indicate that the 10-year-old boy has at least 30 entries dating back to May 2023.  He has been arrested at least twice before for auto theft related crimes.  The boy is also listed as a suspect in more than 12 cases that range from auto theft to robbery to assault with a dangerous weapon.  The remaining entries are mostly related to runaway type cases.  

The boy was identified as the driver of a stolen car that went on the grass and sidewalk between the school and the playground.  Surveillance video shows school staff frantically trying to move children off the playground and out of harm's way. 

O’Hara says the 10-year-old’s family is cooperative with police and have asked for help to keep their son or anyone else from being injured or killed. 

“It is unfathomable that a 10-year-old boy has been involved in this level of criminal activity without effective intervention,” said O’Hara. “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.”

https://youtu.be/HdLvy63FQ14 

We Are MPD (youtube.com)

10-4-2024 MR 24-270111 MPD Arrests 10-year-old for Driving a Stolen Car and Nearly Striking Children on a Playground.pdf

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