Watch: US boy, 10, drives stolen car around playground

A 10-year-old has been arrested for allegedly driving a stolen car around a crowded school playground.

Minneapolis police said the incident happened on September 20 at the Nellie Stone Johnson School in the north of the city.

It was caught on CCTV, with the footage showing a black vehicle driving back and forth near the playground, where more than a dozen children were running and playing.

A 10-year-old boy from #Minneapolis has been arrested, on suspicion of second-degree assault, after allegedly stealing a car & driving it recklessly across a crowded playground at Nellie Stone Johnson School on September 20, 2024

The boy has an extensive criminal history, with… pic.twitter.com/bTh8msd3cj

— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) October 5, 2024

Police said the playground was “crowded” at the time, and a spokesman added: “Fortunately, no children on the playground were struck by the driver.”

The 10-year-old boy was taken to the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Centre on Thursday.

It was at least the boy’s third arrest, police said, and he was a suspect in a dozen cases ranging from car theft to robbery and 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,” said Brian O’Hara, the police chief.

“Prison is not an acceptable option for a 10-year-old boy. But the adults who can stop this behaviour going forward must act now to help this child and his family.”

A police spokesman added that the boy’s family members were co-operating and “have asked for help to keep their son or anyone else from being injured or killed”.