‘It is unfathomable;’ 10-year-old steals car, drives through playground

Minneapolis, MN — A 10-year-old boy was taken into custody after he drove a stolen vehicle across a crowded school playground.

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The Sept. 20 incident was caught on video. The Minneapolis Police Department said it happened at Nellie Stone Johnson School in north Minneapolis when the playground was “crowded”, according to CBS-affiliate WCCO.

Police booked the 10-year-old into a juvenile detention center.

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According to the department, this is at least his third arrest and he is a suspect in a dozen cases ranging from “auto theft to robbery to assault with a dangerous weapon.”

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

Police said the boy’s family members are cooperating and “have asked for help to keep their son or anyone else from being injured or killed.”

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