A 10-year-old boy has been taken into custody in Texas after stealing a family truck, ramming a police car during a chase and crashing into a tree, deputies say.
Converse Police Department said officers noticed a black Toyota Tundra was driving recklessly in the 400 block of Station Street at roughly 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday. The driver—later found to be the child—refused to stop the vehicle when requested by a deputy, KABB reported.
The Tundra continued down the road but the driver then appeared to lose control, making contact with a car that was parked in a driveway and briefly coming to a stop, police said.
But the situation did not end there. According to Converse PD, as an officer exited his patrol car the stolen Toyota backed up, ramming the cruiser before taking off, traveling westbound.
Bexar County Sheriff's Office officers deployed to the scene and placed spike strips on a section of Gibbs Sprawl Road, but the 10-year-old swerved to avoid them and ended up facing oncoming traffic, KTSA reported. The chase ended as the Toyota driven by the child hit a tree and got stuck in a drainage ditch close to railway tracks, according to FOX 7 Austin.
The young child reportedly attempted to flee on foot but was quickly detained by officers. Fox San Antonio reported the boy suffered minor injuries. Police said operators received a complaint about a stolen vehicle on Tuesday that turned out to be the same Toyota truck driven by the juvenile.
Converse police chief Fidel Villegas told KSAT: "We got a call... this Toyota Tundra was being reported stolen. Actually it was this 10-year-old's father reporting the vehicle was taken."
The local media outlet reported the police chase had lasted between three and four miles and at points reached speeds of 50 miles per hour. Charges against the child may include evading arrest in a motor vehicle and unauthorized use of a vehicle, according to law enforcement officials.
The identities of the boy and his father were not released. Fox San Antonio published an image showing the stolen truck being towed. It had significant damage to the front right side.
On July 7, a 9-year-old boy was cited in Nebraska after crashing a stolen car and yelling racist remarks at a police officer. Deputies from the Grand Island Police Department had to break a window to remove the child from the vehicle after he locked himself inside. They later found he had been carrying a concealed knife.
Police Captain Jim Duering said: "This one is pretty concerning and a little out of the ordinary. Hopefully we can get services introduced and get this young man back on the right road."
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