ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A 12-year-old boy was taken into custody Saturday after stealing a construction vehicle parked outside an Ann Arbor middle school and leading police on an hourlong pursuit.
According to Ann Arbor police, at about 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25, the 12-year-old stole a construction vehicle -- a Construction Genie GTH-636 Telehandler equipped with a forklift -- from outside Forsyth Middle School. The vehicle was “unlocked with the key hidden inside the cab,” police said in a statement.
A police pursuit began when officers located the vehicle near Brooks and Pearl streets, and followed the child driving the construction vehicle at speeds of 15-20 mph from there. At one point, the child took the vehicle through the Georgetown Boulevard neighborhood, where he struck an estimated 10 parked vehicles, officials said.
You can watch part of the police pursuit in the Ann Arbor Police Department’s video above.
Without activating any headlights, the child reportedly led Ann Arbor police north on Nixon Road until he left city limits. That’s when deputies with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office took over the pursuit, which continued until the boy stopped in the area of Gotfredson Road and M-14 in Plymouth.
The child, whose identity will not be released because he is a minor, was taken into police custody at about 7:53 p.m. He was lodged at the juvenile detention center. It was not said what punishment he may face.
Throughout the pursuit, the boy could be seen swerving along both main and residential roads, even driving on the sidewalk at one point. Though he hit several cars, police say no one was injured in the incident.
Ann Arbor police are continuing to investigate the situation, which they say was “very dangerous” and “could’ve easily ended with serious injuries.”
Police told Local 4 that the boy is known to officials. He appeared in front of a juvenile referee on Monday (Nov. 27) and could be charged related to stealing the construction vehicle and fleeing police.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the police tip line at 734-794-6939, or email TIPS@a2gov.org.