A 12-year-old boy is in trouble with the law after allegedly stealing a large construction vehicle equipped with a forklift and leading Ann Arbor police on a long, slow-speed chase over the weekend.
The juvenile was taken into custody more than an hour after police first saw him driving the Construction Genie GTH-636 Telehandler away from Forsythe Middle School.
It all started around 6:45 p.m. Saturday when officers were called to the school at 1546 Newport Road on reports of the suspect trying to steal the construction vehicle. About a minute later officers spotted him driving it about a half mile away at Brooks and Pearl without any lights on.
Multiple officers initiated a pursuit of the stolen Construction Genie, which topped out at speeds of about 15-20 mph, according to Ann Arbor police. As officers gave chase with lights and sirens on, officials say the juvenile hit about 10 parked vehicles in the Georgetown Boulevard neighborhood.
Dash cam footage released on Monday afternoon shows the young suspect running over pylons separating the road from a bike lane as the officer says “pull over — pull over now” over the loudspeaker.
The suspect ignored Ann Arbor police officers’ commands for about a half hour until they terminated the chase at 7:18 p.m. as he went across the M-14 bridge while headed north on Nixon Road.
The Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office then picked up the pursuit and followed the juvenile until he stopped in the area of M-14 and Gotfredson — nearly 15 miles away from the school where he allegedly stole the construction machine — around 7:53 p.m.
The driver, identified as a 12-year-old boy from Ann Arbor, was taken into custody and lodged at the juvenile detention center. No one was injured in the pursuit, according to police.
Authorities say he was able to gain access to the vehicle at the school, as it was unlocked and the key was hidden inside the cab. Officials say the vehicle equipped with an extendable forklift can weigh up to 35,000 lbs.
“This was a very dangerous situation that could've easily ended with serious injuries,” Ann Arbor police officials said in a press release.
The incident remains under criminal investigation.
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