Police in Bedford, Ohio, reported that they located an 8-year-old girl who was safe (and shopping) after she took a car and drove to Target.
On Sunday morning, police received a report about a missing child. As they initiated their investigation, they also received another call regarding a small child… reportedly driving east on Rockside Road.
Dashcam footage shows a portion of the girl’s trip to Target before police caught up with her. Though it doesn’t reveal how the shorty managed to reach the pedals of the 2020 Nissan Rogue, it does show she wasn’t exactly the most proficient driver.
In the dashcam footage captured from a personal vehicle, a man can be heard calling the police to report a car behind him that is “swerving everywhere.” Eventually, the erratic driver comes into view of the dashcam, prompting the man to inform the dispatchers, “It looks like a kid!”
"IT LOOKS LIKE A KID": Dashcam video appears to show an 8-year-old girl behind the wheel of her family’s car — and on her way to Target. STORY: https://t.co/p6QPppB8tS pic.twitter.com/33GlG7m1jr
— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) September 18, 2024
Officers ultimately located the car in the parking lot of a Target store in Bainbridge, where they subsequently found the child inside the store, happily shopping.
The Girl Reportedly Spent Nearly $400 on Her Target Shopping Spree Before Police Intervened
Reportedly, the girl spent upwards of $400 on her spree. We here at Suggest would love to see what that receipt looks like. Probably a lot of Taylor Swift merch, a pumpkin spice latte, and several make-your-own lip gloss and bracelet kits.
For what it’s worth, her family was issued a refund.
Meanwhile, the precise route taken by the child remains unclear. Google Maps indicates that the store is over 10 miles from the location where the child was reported missing. This meant that the tyke up to tricks needed about 20 to 25 minutes of driving time to reach the destination, per local Cleveland station, FOX 8.
Reportedly, there were no injuries or property damage when the girl drove to Target. However, she did claim to police that she “struck a mailbox” on her way.
The girl’s relatives were summoned to the store to pick her up along with the vehicle. Police informed the outlet that the girl was too young to face criminal charges.
Meanwhile, police seemed to get a bit of a kick out of the incident.
On Sunday morning, the Bedford police shared a Facebook post highlighting the young girl’s trip to Target.
“Well I’ve finally found a woman who’s in more of a hurry to shop at Target than my wife,” the department wrote, channeling Rodney Dangerfield. “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.”
“Not sure what she bought, or if she was even able to use her Target app to save 5%,” police added. “We did let her finish her Frappuccino. We’re not mean.”