10-Year Old Found Driving In Miami Gardens

MIAMI GARDENS (CBSMiami) --  Miami Gardens Police took a 10-year old into custody after they found him driving a car on Tuesday morning.

Miami Gardens Police  said the child's mother called police after her son started throwing rocks at her and his grandmother at a home located at 2486 NW 171st Terrace.

The child did not want to go to school and drove  off in his mother's car. He drove around for several blocks before, according to police, they spotted and stopped the car which was being driven recklessly.

"He got so upset that he lunged a brick towards his mother. In a rage, he goes back into the house, takes the keys to the vehicle and goes for a joy ride," said Detective Michael Wright.

When they stopped the car on N.W. 167th St. near N.W. 22nd Ave., they found the child behind the wheel.

Police said the child had been driving the car for about an hour and fifteen minutes. They received a call from the mother at 8:00 a.m. Police stopped the car around 9:15 a.m.

"This child had no rhyme or reason why he took the car,"said Detective Michael Wright of Miami Gardens Police. "He could have hurt someone or damaged property," Wright told CBS4's Peter D'Oench."He just went through our city without any regard to property or life."

The mother nor the grandmother knew why he did it. They could not tell CBS4's Peter D'Oench or CBS4's Marybel Rodriguez if a situation like this had happened before. Neither could police.

No one was injured in the incident and detectives say there was no property damage

The child was taken to Miami Gardens Police Department. Police initially thought they were going to charge the child with grand theft auto and aggravated assault but they now say charges are pending. Wright told D'Oench that the child is being evaluated by a mental health professional.

It's not clear where the child will go after his evaluation.

"It's alarming. He is 10-years old and operating a motor vehicle without documentation. He could barely see over the windshield,"said Detective Wright. "It goes to show you, parents need to be mindful of their children."

 

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