The vehicle was left unlocked with the keys hidden before the young suspect stole it and led police on a dangerous chase.
Residents of Ann Arbor, Michigan, are still in shock after police were led on a chase that lasted about an hour over the weekend. The escape vehicle, curiously, was a forklift, but what was not expected was that the perpetrator of the crime, aged 12, was behind the wheel.
In dash cam video released by the local police department on Monday, patrol cars can be seen desperately trying to apprehend the boy on the stolen Construction Genie GTH-636 telehandler, equipped with a forklift.
In the footage from Saturday, police officers can be heard repeatedly ordering the 12-year-old boy to stop. However, the boy continues to run red lights and stop signs.
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The stolen vehicle traveled across sidewalks and crashed into several vehicles, leaving a trail of damage. A white pickup truck went flying onto a nearby neighbor’s lawn after the boy hit it at full speed.
“We can’t stop this,” an officer urged in the video.
Ann Arbor Police were alerted to an incident at Forsythe High School around 6:45 pm Saturday night, where a juvenile was reportedly attempting to steal a construction vehicle. Upon finding the forklift moving without lights, the police report indicates that “several officers initiated a pursuit of the vehicle, reaching speeds of 15 to 20 mph, using emergency lights and sirens.”
Additionally, authorities shared that, “during the chase, the driver of the stolen vehicle traveled through the Georgetown Boulevard neighborhood, striking approximately ten parked vehicles.”
After approximately thirty minutes of pursuit, the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office assumed control of the chase.
They “followed the vehicle until the driver stopped at approximately 7:53 pm in the area of M-14 and Gotfredson.” The video above ends abruptly as Ann Arbor police back off the chase.
The 12-year-old boy, whose name has not been released to the public, was arrested and taken into custody. He was “subsequently placed in the juvenile detention center.”
According to the preliminary investigation, “the juvenile gained access to the construction vehicle at Forsyth Middle School. “The vehicle was opened with the keys hidden inside the cabin.”
Fortunately, no one was injured during the chase.
“This was a very dangerous situation that could have easily ended with serious injuries,” police concluded.
“The incident remains an active and ongoing criminal investigation.”
Looks like someone will be getting tons of coal for Christmas this year!
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn