The mother of an 8-year-old Ohio girl who drove herself 16 miles to Target in the family's SUV last month explains how her daughter was able to steal the car and sneak out to take her to the store. explained.
Tansy Wilson said: new york times He said it was “impressive” that his daughter Zoe stole keys, ID, wallet, dog and car and drove nearly 30 minutes along a busy road to the target without causing an accident. Wilson said the girl was not punished for the incident.
Ms Wilson said Zoe was asleep at her parents' home in Bedford when she drove around on September 15. Wilson said she woke up that morning and saw Zoe on the couch playing with her iPad before going back to sleep.
But then Zoe got into a fight with her 15-year-old sister and left her mother's 2020 Nissan Rogue with her Shih Tzu/poodle mix, Bear.
Dashcam video captured of 8-year-old Ohio girl driving family SUV while driving to destination
The 8-year-old drove herself 24 minutes from her home to Target in Bainbridge. (Photo provided by Mario Tama/Getty Images/TMX)
About 30 minutes later, Zoe's sister woke Wilson up and told him she couldn't find Zoe or her dog.
Her family also noticed the car was missing and filed a missing person report around 7 a.m. Bedford Police began an investigation after receiving a report of a child driving an SUV.
Police found the vehicle in the Target parking lot and found Zoe walking down the aisle with her dog, Bear, who had just purchased $400 worth of items at the store, including iPad cases, toys and cosmetics.
Wilson told the New York Times that she was surprised that her daughter was able to make such an expensive purchase and check out without any adults checking on her unaccompanied young child.
Dashcam video shows an 8-year-old girl behind the wheel of her family's car heading toward the target. (Justin Kimery/TMX)
“We finally found a woman who is shopping faster at Target than her wife, and has been faster than she has been for 8 years,” Bedford police wrote on Facebook. “Thankfully, she arrived safely and was quickly located by Bainbridge Police. She is now safe at home. We have no idea what she bought or if she used the Target app. % I don't even know if we saved money. We made her finish the Frappuccino. We're not being mean. ”
Zoe had a receipt for $400 worth of items charged to her mother's card, but police had her return the items when they arrived. Police said the girl was too young to face criminal charges and were thankful no one was injured.
Wilson said the officers may have actually purchased the Frappuccino for Zoe, or they may have just included it in the Facebook post to make a funny joke.
According to her mother, when questioned by officers, Zoe casually told them that she had run into a green mailbox on her way to the store.
Minnesota boy arrested on suspicion of driving stolen car near playground where children were playing
An 8-year-old girl drove her family's SUV 16 miles to Target on her own. (image)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
But despite the dangerous adventure, Wilson said she did not discipline her daughter.
“I talked to her and reassured her that I loved her, that I didn't want anything to happen to her, and how dangerous and serious this situation was,” Wilson said in New York. told the Times.
Wilson said her daughter's driving ability was “impressive,” especially since she made it through the construction zone near the target without hitting anything.
