A 10-year-old Florida boy and his 11-year-old sister who were running away to California drove 320km in their mother’s car before they were stopped by sheriff’s deputies on an interstate highway, authorities said.
The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office says deputies spotted the sedan on Interstate 75 near Gainesville in north Florida just before 4am on Thursday. The children’s mother had reported it stolen and her children missing four hours earlier in North Port, a city in southwest Florida.
The deputies, thinking that they were dealing with car thieves, drew their guns and ordered those inside the car to step out.
“Much to their surprise, deputies observed a 10-year-old male driver exit the vehicle along with his 11-year-old sister,” the department said in a statement.