Preteens Hijack Mom’s Car After Having Electronic Devices Taken Away

A 10-year-old boy and his 11-year-old sister hijacked their mother’s car after having their electronic devices removed as a punishment for “not using them appropriately.”

Alachua police stopped the unidentified minors on a freeway near Gainesville, Florida, on Sept. 21 after their mother’s white sedan was reported missing, according to Today. The younger brother was behind the wheel when deputies ordered the occupants out of the vehicle at gunpoint at around 3:50 a.m.

Though their mother chose not to pursue the stolen vehicle case, the children could face other charges for operating a vehicle without a driver’s license.

The siblings managed to travel 200 miles away from home. After police took them into custody, their mother drove three hours to pick them up.

“Our detectives did speak with their mother at length,” the sheriff’s office said. She “was clearly doing her best to raise two young children, and she was very receptive to the recommendations they provided in helping her get assistance.”

On Thursday, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Department alerted the public via Facebook post that the siblings, who had also been reported missing by their mother, were pulled over on I-75. The department shared, “Two North Port, Florida kids are stopped in Alachua County operating a stolen vehicle. At around 3:50 a.m., Deputies located a white sedan traveling on I-75 in the City of Alachua.”

The department added, “Much to their surprise, Deputies observed a 10 year old male driver exit the vehicle, along with his 11 year old sister.”

The police department said in a later comment on the same post that the siblings stole the car and left home because they were “upset” with their mother.

The comment began, “We have read and understand that several of you have questions about this incident. We will do our best to elaborate just a bit to help you better understand the outcome of this incident.

“It was learned that both children were upset with their mother because she took away their electronic devices, which is believed to have been done because they were not using them appropriately.”

The police department also said it was not led to believe anyone at home was mistreating the children.