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10-year-old steals SUV, drives on interstate intending to meet his mother, police say

The suspect, who is under 5 feet tall, allegedly stole a Buick Encore on May 27 and then drove it onto Interstate 75 before the vehicle was disabled by remote, Michigan State Police say.
A 10-year-old boy stole a car and took it on an interstate joyride in Michigan last month in hopes of meeting up with his mother, police said.
A 10-year-old boy stole a car and took it on an interstate joyride in Michigan last month in hopes of meeting up with his mother, police said.Michigan State Police
/ Source: NBC News

A 10-year-old boy stole a car and took it on an interstate ride in Michigan last month in hopes of meeting up with his mother, police said.

On May 27, the juvenile driver allegedly stole the 2017 Buick Encore in Buena Vista, a township about 35 miles north of Flint, Michigan State Police said in a series of tweets on Thursday.

A police spokesperson said Monday that the boy, who is shorter than 5 feet tall, allegedly stole the vehicle “because he was trying to get to his mother in Detroit.”

Saginaw County Central Dispatch received a call from OnStar, a security service connected to the vehicle, alerting dispatchers that the vehicle was southbound on Interstate 75. Troopers then located the vehicle near the Birch Run exit and attempted to pull it over but the driver did not stop, police said.

OnStar, police said, then disabled the Buick.

Several callers had simultaneously called 911 and reported that a child was driving on the interstate, police said.

A 32-second video of the incident shows a brief chase.

The silver SUV is seen on video moving erratically and swerving over three lanes before driving onto the shoulder and striking a guardrail.

A trooper was behind the vehicle for about a mile and had activated lights and sirens while OnStar disabled the Buick, police said.

The minor ran from the vehicle before he was apprehended, police said.

The suspect was then taken to the Saginaw County Juvenile Detention Center, police said.

This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.