Michigan Officers Pursue 12-Year-Old Joyriding on Forklift

A 12-year-old boy was taken into custody Saturday after stealing a construction vehicle parked outside an Ann Arbor, Michigan, middle school and leading police on an hourlong pursuit.

According to Ann Arbor police, at about 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25, the 12-year-old stole a construction vehicle -- a Construction Genie GTH-636 Telehandler equipped with a forklift -- from outside Forsyth Middle School. The vehicle was “unlocked with the key hidden inside the cab,” police said in a statement.

A police pursuit began when officers located the vehicle and followed the child driving the construction vehicle at speeds of 15-20 mph from there, ClickOnDetroit reports.

Without activating any headlights, the child reportedly led Ann Arbor police on a pursuit until he left city limits. That’s when deputies with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office took over the pursuit, which continued until the boy stopped.

The child, whose identity will not be released because he is a minor, was taken into police custody at about 7:53 p.m. He was lodged at the juvenile detention center. It was not said what punishment he may face.