Police: Drunk 12-year-old steals car in north Lincoln

BY HILARY KINDSCHUH / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Wednesday, September 2, 2009 2:20 pm

Police say an intoxicated 12-year-old boy stole a car Tuesday night and had three hit and run crashes before a citizen caught him.

A 1988 Honda Accord was taken from a Kwik Shop at First Street and Cornhusker Highway around 8:40 p.m., said Chief Tom Casady. The driver had left the keys inside the unlocked car.

Soon after the car was stolen, police received several calls about an erratic driver in the Gaslight Village mobile home park, Casady said. The driver hit a fence and stop sign in Gaslight Village before hitting a parked car on the 100 block of West Saunders Avenue.

A 41-year-old man who lives on the block chased down the 12-year-old driver as he got out of the car and ran, Casady said. The man tackled the boy and held him until police arrived.

The boy was referred to the Lancaster County Attorney on suspicion of auto theft, fleeing the scene of an accident and drunken driving, Casady said. He had a blood alcohol content of 0.14.

This is not the first time the boy has stolen a car that was involved in a hit and run.

Police believe he stole his parents' car in June and hit a parked car, said Officer Katie Flood. An officer met with the boy and his father several days after the incident, and the boy was referred to the county attorney on suspicion of negligent driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

Because police met with the boy several days after the first incident, they could not determine whether he had been drinking at the time, Flood said.