Giving pre-teen a criminal record seems harsh punishment to me
I am on the run today so I'll have to wait till later to tell you the latest about my Mom Strike at home. And no, I still haven't gotten the Mother's Day gift that I so richly deserve.
But I do want to post a news story in here that is sure to spark debate. A dad in Plantation is pressing charges against his 12-year-old for driving off in his car for the second time.
My 13-year-old has started showing a fascination with the car, and has asked if he can drive it around the block.
(NO!)
But one mission I feel I'm given as a parent is to get him to the age of 18 with a clean record.
What do you think of this?
Girl, 12, takes dad's car on joy ride in Plantation
Father presses grand theft auto charges
By Sallie James
South Florida Sun Sentinel
May 19, 2009 PLANTATION A 12-year-old girl who took her dad's car on a joy ride and initially refused to stop for police has been charged with grand theft auto at her father's request, police said today.
Police quickly spotted the youth Monday because she forgot a basic tenet of night driving: headlights.
The child disappeared with the yellow Nissan about 10:30 p.m. while her father was visiting her ailing 19-month-old sibling at Plantation General Hospital, said police Detective Robert Rettig. The ordeal started and ended in the hospital parking lot at 401 NW 42 Ave., Rettig said.
She drove south on State Road 7 and made a U-turn, but didn't get far, hitting a police car near the hospital, Rettig said.
"Apparently she drove around and a couple officers tried to stop her and she wouldn't stop," Rettig said. "She ended up rolling into a police car."
When she finally did stop, she tried to flee, but once again, didn't get far, Rettig said.
Nobody was hurt.
Her father is pressing charges because it is the second time she has driven off in a car, Rettig said.
He did not have further details.
The girl was taken to the juvenile assessment center, Rettig said.
A reader informed the SunSentinel of this incident through Twitter.
Send your twitter-tips to @sunsentinel or @newsfisher or email us at newstips@sunsentinel.com.
Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
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