10-year-old boy took parents' minivan to go buy Cheerios at Target
A 10-year-old boy in Stillwater who took his parents' minivan and led police on a chase said he was going to buy Cheerios.
The unusual incident happened around 9:30 p.m. Sunday evening, according to a police report, with Stillwater PD officer noticing the boy driving the Chrysler minivan, and activating their emergency lights.
What followed was a chase that at times saw the child reach speeds of 50 mph, and involved the van driving through an intersection and up the embankment of a residential yard in reverse.
Police were eventually able to place a squad car in front of the minivan, ending the chase without any injuries.
When the boy was questioned, he told police his parents were sleeping, had no idea he'd taken their van, and he was heading to the Stillwater Target to buy some Cheerios.
Police Chief Brian Mueller told the Pioneer Press that at one point while reversing, the boy narrowly missed hitting a tree, and said he was thankful neither the child or any bystanders were injured.
The incident followed a similar one in the Twin Cities last week, in which a 10-year-old Fridley girl took her parents' car and was later found – following a public appeal – in Maple Grove having driven around the metro all day.
