Third-grader takes teacher's van for ride

Merika · 04-25-2006, 07:08 AM

Third-grader takes teacher's van for ride

MODESTO, Calif. (AP) -- An 8-year-old boy swiped his teacher's car keys and took her minivan for a joyride, cruising safely home and into the record books as the city's youngest auto thief, police said.

The third-grader told officers he "just wanted to drive around for a while" when he left the James Marshall School on Monday, officer Michael Amarillas said.

The diminutive driver snatched the keys from teacher Caren Brady's purse when she turned her back to the class. In order to operate the Dodge Caravan, he raised the driver's seat, lowered the steering wheel, adjusted the rearview mirror and turned off the radio.

"This is the smallest child you can ever imagine," said Brady, who noticed her vehicle missing a couple hours after school. "I don't think this kid is 4 feet tall. He's tiny; he's the tiniest kid in the class."

The boy, whose identity was not released, was suspended from school, Brady said. Nothing was damaged and no one was hurt and police said they wouldn't charge him with a crime.

A neighbor saw the boy driving and called police. Officers found the van parked in front of the house, which is less than a mile from the school. They lectured the boy after interviewing him.

"You can't do anything but laugh," said Brady, who spent 90 minutes Tuesday teaching other pupils about the consequences of choices they make. She said she wouldn't let the boy return to her class.
---------------------
I don't think this would've been so very funny had he or someone else got killed! It should've been more than a lecture.

Vautrin · 04-25-2006, 07:56 AM

He is already practicing. Remember the "prank 911" thread? You never know when the police does not believe a kid. At least now he will be able to drive to some place with adults, in case mommy has passed out...

Merika · 04-25-2006, 08:17 AM

I'm not going to make excuses for the kid....but it was a funny correlation.

The best thing that ever happened to my son is being arrested like an adult and being treated like crap while I left him in jail for 2 days. He came out a 'brand new boy'. We need to quit patting young kids on the head for breaking the law and we'll stop them early on.