After learning how to steal cars from a YouTube video, three kids, ages 12 and under, led Newburgh Heights Police on a pursuit over the weekend.
Just before 3 p.m. on Saturday, Newburgh Heights officers received a Flock camera alert about a stolen vehicle headed westbound on Harvard Avenue around E. 54th Street, police said.
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Officers responded and attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled westbound before crashing into a home, police said. Three juveniles exited the car and fled on foot.
"They may have attempted to make a left-hand turn onto a side street, they lost control of the car, and the car struck a house," Newburgh Heights Police Chief John Majoy said.
Not long after the kids fled, two of them were caught. Body camera video showed an officer telling the two to get on the ground. Just a minute later, the third juvenile is seen running up and gets on the ground with the other two.
One of the kids is heard on the body cam video apologizing and asking the officers not to hurt them.
The driver was 11 years old, while the passengers were a 12-year-old and an 8-year-old, who is also the driver's brother, police said.
"You're 12 years old … f****** stealing cars? The hell is wrong with you?" an officer is heard saying on the body camera video.
After learning that the children found out how to steal a car from an online video, out of curiosity, Majoy looked it up and found numerous tutorials.
"So they told the officers that they watched a YouTube video. And so just out of morbid curiosity ... I went on to YouTube myself ... and I researched how to steal a car, and was surprised that there's literally dozens of ... videos," Majoy said.
No one was injured, and all three children were taken into custody. Their parents were called and released into their custody, police said.
Majoy said the 8-year-old was concerned about receiving coal for Christmas.
"I'm not condoning any one of those things, but it's also equally very saddening to see this happening," Majoy said. "I mean, they should be playing ball, having a snowball fight, riding bikes, doing what kids do. They shouldn't be stealing cars."
The chief said the 11-year-old driver faces charges including fleeing and eluding and receiving stolen property. The 12-year-old faces a charge of receiving stolen property. The 8-year-old may not be charged due to his age.
