SAGINAW COUNTY, Mich. — A 10-year-old Michigan boy is accused of stealing an SUV and leading authorities on an interstate chase because he wanted to visit his mother in Detroit, police said.
The boy allegedly stole a 2017 Buick Encore SUV on May 27 in Saginaw County, The Detroit News reported. Police dispatchers received a call from OnStar that the vehicle had been taken from a residence in Buena Vista Township, according to the newspaper.
The Michigan State Police was notified at about 1:40 p.m. EDT that the stolen SUV was traveling at “a high rate of speed” on southbound Interstate 75, MLive.com reported.
Troopers located the SUV and attempted to get the driver to stop, according to WDIV-TV. The boy continued to drive, but the SUV came to a stop after he bumped into a guardrail near the Birch Run exit, the television station reported. OnStar was able to remotely disable the vehicle at that point.
The child ran from the vehicle but was soon apprehended, according to WJBK-TV. arrested nearby.
According to troopers, the boy said he had stolen his mother’s vehicle because he wanted to drive to Detroit to see her, MLive.com reported. The boy had apparently been staying with relatives before the alleged theft, according to the website.
There were no injuries and the vehicle sustained minor damage, the News reported. The boy was taken to the Saginaw County Juvenile Detention Center.