Minnesota boy arrested after allegedly driving stolen car near playground where children were playing

A 10-year-old boy was arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after allegedly stealing a car and driving recklessly near a school playground, where he nearly hit other children who were playing.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Friday that the incident happened on Sept. 20 at the playground outside of Nellie Stone Johnson School, according to Fox 9. 

Surveillance footage shows the boy driving the stolen vehicle back and forth behind the playground before driving onto the sidewalk, which is just feet away from the playground, as children were nearby.

No children were struck by the vehicle, according to O’Hara.

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O’Hara said the 10-year-old was identified as the driver on Thursday. He was arrested and booked into the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention on probable cause of second-degree assault.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office said in a press release on Friday that it has filed charges in this case, Fox 9 reported. O'Hara said the boy has been charged with reckless driving and receiving stolen property.

The attorney's office also said that a person cannot be prosecuted if they are not capable of assisting their lawyers in their defense or if they cannot understand the legal proceedings.

A court-appointed psychologist will determine whether a person is competent and submit their opinion to the judge, who will make the final decision. If a child is found not competent, the child will be released from custody, and the case will either be dismissed or suspended.

"We are facing an urgent crisis in our community related to a small group of children who are not competent to stand trial in the juvenile justice system, but who cannot safely be at home," the attorney's office said in a statement. "We are actively engaged with law enforcement, as well as county and state partners, about the critical need for safe and appropriate out-of-home placements for children with these complex needs who require specialized care. We cannot charge or prosecute our way out of this crisis."

"What we need is clear: residential placements with varying levels of security in our community that are resourced and staffed to be able to accept and successfully treat our youth with complex needs," the statement added. "And we need urgent and immediate action to address this issue now."

The boy has allegedly stolen cars in the past as well, having been arrested in at least two other incidents related to auto theft, O'Hara said. He is also listed as a suspect in more than a dozen other cases, including for auto theft, assault with a dangerous weapon and robbery.

The child's criminal history dates back to May 2023. He has around 30 records, and most of them are runaway incidents. The boy's family is cooperating with law enforcement and has asked for help to "keep their son or anyone else from being injured or killed," police said in a press release, according to Fox 9.

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Charges in a different incident from August were filed on Friday, O'Hara said. In that case, the boy and other minors approached a victim with a knife in his hand, and threatened her by saying "I will gut you" while attempting to steal her car.

The boy was charged in that case with threats of violence and an attempt to commit auto theft, O'Hara said.

"It is unfathomable that a 10-year-old boy has had this level of criminal activity without effective intervention," O'Hara said. "Prison is not an acceptable option for a 10-year-old boy. But the adults who can stop this behavior going forward must act now. This is only one example of the revolving door we’re dealing with – arresting and re-arresting the same juveniles for auto-theft and other violent crimes. This is a complex issue, and we need every entity involved in intervention to come together immediately to establish short- and long-term solutions."