A newly-released video reveals an 8-year-old girl embarking on a solo adventure to a Target in Ohio, driving an SUV. The incident, captured by a concerned driver in Bedford on Sunday morning, showed the vehicle swerving, prompting him to call 911 after realizing the driver appeared unusually small.
At the same time, the girl’s family reported her and the SUV missing, as reported by abc7 New York. Police located the 8-year-old safe in a Target store about 25 minutes from her home, shortly after she had finished shopping.
The girl told officers that she had hit a mailbox while driving but did not provide further details about her trip to the store. Authorities did not clarify her reasons for traveling there.
Police stated that she is too young to face criminal charges, and it remains unclear if any charges will be filed as the investigation continues.
The police posted on its Facebook page.
“Well I’ve finally found a woman who’s in more of a hurry to shop at Target than my wife,” Bedford Police said in a post on Facebook. “More of (a) hurry by 8 years. That’s right an 8-year-old took mommy’s car this morning and drove to Target in Bainbridge to shop.”
Police located the 8-year-old girl after family members reported her and her mother’s 2020 Nissan Rogue missing shortly before 9 a.m. on Sunday.
Ring camera footage from a neighbor’s security camera showed her leaving in the SUV alone around 7:00 a.m. Police also received reports of a small child driving a vehicle matching its description, according to USA Today.
The SUV was located in Target’s parking lot, approximately 25 minutes from the girl’s home, while she was found inside the store.
Her family members arrived in Bainbridge to pick her up, according to the police report.
Although it remains unclear whether she made any purchases or used her Target app to save 5%, police noted that they allowed her to finish her Frappuccino, though it’s unknown how she paid for it.
