A 9-year-old boy in Grand Island, Nebraska, has stolen two cars in the course of three days, and law enforcement is unsure how to deal with the issue.
The child crashed into a front porch Sunday night in a stolen stranger’s car and spat on the Grand Island police when confronted, shouting racial slurs.
The same occurred Tuesday evening, requiring police to take him into physical custody, even though the boy isn’t even eligible to be detained as a juvenile. According to Nebraska state law, a juvenile has to be at least 11 years old.
“This one’s pretty concerning and a little out of the ordinary,” said Grand Island Police Capt. Jim Deuring. He added that he had never seen an individual so young “with this level of hostility and seriousness of offenses.”
The boy, whose name can’t be released, received a ticket and was released to his parents after the first offense, and the same occurred after his second offense after temporary custody under authorities.
His uncooperative behavior raised concern among the officers, including locking himself inside one of the cars forcing the police to break him out and violating multiple traffic violations. He was also reported with a folding knife on him.
The department’s media sheet said he will be referred to an attorney’s office for traffic violations and flight to avoid arrest. They are not sure at this time what additional steps will be taken.
Deuring stated that law enforcement does not have evidence that the child’s parents are not “at least making attempts” to combat his behavior, but they will look into it to find a solution.
“We are not going to chase stolen cars and 9-year-olds every day, because that is dangerous,” Deuring said. “I do not think the solution lies fully in the hands of the police department. We are going to have to work with some other agencies on this and come up with something.”
