NEWBURGH HEIGHTS, Ohio — An 11-year-old boy led Newburgh Heights Police on a pursuit in a stolen vehicle, with two other children, ages 8 and 12, riding along, WKYC reported.
After the car was reported stolen out of Parma, a license plate reader alerted officers as the vehicle traveled along Harvard Avenue, Police Chief John Majoy said. When police attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the young driver fled, leading officers on a pursuit.
That pursuit ended abruptly when the car made a sharp left turn, lost control and crashed into the side of a house, according to the report. No injuries were reported.
The children fled the scene on foot but were quickly apprehended. Body camera shows the juveniles being apprehended at gunpoint after attempting to hide in a backyard.
Majoy said the children told officers they learned how to steal the vehicle by watching YouTube videos. Police said they used a USB cable to break into the steering column and start the car, a method linked to viral social media trends targeting specific car models.
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“In the pictures that we have, you can see where the steering column cracked and they had used the USB to basically hot wire the car,” Majoy told WKYC.
All three children were released to their parents. Charges will be filed in juvenile court.
“This has got to be a record for the youngest driver in a pursuit that I’ve ever seen,” Majoy said. “Eleven years old ... that’s incredible.”
