13-year-old steals SUV as 76-year-old woman was loading gifts, Ohio police say

As a 76-year-old woman and her daughter were loading gifts into their Audi SUV, Ohio police, say a 13-year-old hopped into the driver’s seat.

The teenager started to drive away from the hotel parking lot on Nov. 5, according to a statement from the Columbus Division of Police. That’s when the 43-year-old daughter, who was visiting from out of town, jumped into the SUV’s back seat.

“The teen accelerated away at a high speed causing the daughter to fall out of the vehicle striking pavement,” police said. Her mother called 911, and the daughter was taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Meanwhile, police say the 13-year-old went to pick up a 16-year-old friend.

A patrol officer looking for the SUV spotted the Audi, leading both teenagers to abandon it and run away, police said. The officer ran after the teens and arrested both of them in the area. The 13-year-old still had a purse belonging to one of the women.

The 13-year-old was charged with two counts of robbery, theft and receiving stolen property, according to the statement. The 16-year-old was charged with receiving stolen property.

Police say this was the 13-year-old’s second arrest with the department in seven weeks, and the 16-year-old’s fifth arrest with the department. Three of those arrests occurred this year.

The daughter’s updated condition was not made available.

This story was originally published November 11, 2021 at 3:26 PM with the headline "13-year-old steals SUV as 76-year-old woman was loading gifts, Ohio police say."