A 10-YEAR-OLD boy has been arrested after allegedly driving through a crowded playground in a stolen car.
The alarming incident was captured on video, showing a car driving dangerously close to a playground in Minneapolis on September 20.
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The black car can be seen driving past the playground three times, almost hitting innocent children as concerned adults.
The young driver crossed the sidewalk as school staff attempted to keep the young children safe.
At one point, a small girl walking towards the playground at Nellie Stone Johnson School stopped in her tracks as the car narrowly missed her and the play equipment.
Minneapolis police booked the 10-year-old into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center.
According to the department, it is his third arrest, and he is a suspect in a dozen cases ranging from “auto-theft to robbery to assault with a dangerous weapon.”
He is also listed as a suspect in twelve other cases, ranging from auto-theft to robbery to assault with a dangerous weapon, a Minneapolis Police Department statement said.
The Minneapolis Police Department said: “Fortunately, no children on the playground were struck by the driver.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara said: “It is unfathomable that a 10-year-old boy has been involved in this level of criminal activity without effective intervention.
“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.”
The family is cooperating with authorities, and the city’s police chief, Brian O’Hara, has called for urgent intervention to prevent further harm.
Hennepin County Attorney’s Office announced criminal charges have been filed against the boy, but couldn’t comment further due to his age, according to CBS News.
An attorney’s office spokesperson said in a statement: “We are facing an urgent crisis in our community related to a small group of children who are not competent to stand trial in the juvenile justice system, but who cannot safely be at home.”
“What we need is clear: residential placements with varying levels of security in our community that are resourced and staffed to be able to accept and successfully treat our youth with complex needs.
“And we need urgent and immediate action to address this issue now.”
Police Chief O’Hara said: “We’ve noticed this year the age of juvenile offenders who are very active has gotten younger.
“The system doesn’t have an answer for what to do with someone this young.”
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