An 8-year-old Ohio girl who was reported missing Sunday morning has been found at a Target about 13 miles away, which police say she drove to in her mother’s SUV, according to the Bedford Police Department.
“Well I’ve finally found a woman who’s in more of a hurry to shop at Target than my wife … That’s right an 8 year old took mommy’s car this morning and drove to Target in Bainbridge to shop,” a police spokesperson said in a light humored post on Facebook, which now has over 250 comments.
According to police, the child, whose name wasn’t released, was reported missing Sunday morning around 9:00 a.m. Family members reported seeing her last at their home about two hours earlier.
That same morning, a small child was reportedly seen driving alone on the road, but the vehicle couldn’t be found.
Shortly after, the missing SUV—a 2020 Nissan Rogue—was found at a Target store in Bainbridge by the Bainbridge Township Police Department, which is about 13 miles away from the girl’s home in Bedford, police said.
Criminal charges won’t be filed due to the girl’s age, authorities said. She told officers she had struck a mailbox during the drive over, but nothing else, and it wasn’t clear Monday if any other charges would be filed.
In the same post, Bedford police confirmed the child made it home safely. Authorities couldn’t confirm what led the child to steal her mother’s car, which they said is still under investigation.
A spokesperson for the Bedford Police Department did not return NTD’s request for comment made before publication time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.