On a Wild Mission: 12-Year-Old Faces Charges After Stealing Grandfather’s Car for 160-Mile Joyride

A 12-year-old boy in Washington State is now in custody after stealing his grandfather’s vehicle and going on a 160-mile journey across the state.

According to reports, the incident unfolded the day before Thanksgiving after the unnamed boy took the car from his grandfather in Issaquah, a city on the western side of the Cascade Mountains. Authorities discovered the boy had a “connection” to a town in Grant Park, leading Issaquah police to alert the Grant County Sheriff’s Office with a tip regarding the boy who was possibly traveling there.

Grant County deputies located the car parked alongside the curb around 10:20 a.m. However, the situation escalated rather quickly after the boy attempted to flee the scene, resulting in a pursuit. To gain control of the incident, deputies used a PIT maneuver, which is a tactic used by authorities to make an abrupt stop. Thankfully, the maneuver concluded the chase, and no one was injured.

“The Sheriff’s Motor Traffic Unit went looking for the car and found it around 10:20 a.m. parked at the curb of the 900 block of Lowry Street in the Larson Community,” the sheriff’s office said.

While no one was harmed during the situation, the boy was taken into custody and is currently held at the Chelan County Juvenile Justice Center. As of now, he is facing possession of a stolen vehicle and felony eluding charges.