14-year-old leads North Carolina police on chase with 1-year-old inside vehicle
GASTONIA, N.C. – A North Carolina teen is accused of stealing a vehicle and leading police on a chase with a 1-year-old child in the car, authorities said Friday.
The juvenile, who is believed to be 14 years old, is facing kidnapping and car theft charges, WSOC-TV reported.
According to a Facebook post by the Gastonia Police Department, the car was stolen from the town of Dallas at about 5:55 p.m. EST and was located by police near the Gastonia city limits.
Police said the teen led Gastonia police on a chase that ended inside the city limits, WSOC-TV reported.
According to a Facebook post by the Dallas Police Department, the teen was arrested at 6:19 p.m. EST after a short chase on foot. A firearm was also recovered from the vehicle, police said.
Officers located the child and reunited the toddler with its parents, WSOC reported. The child, who was unharmed, was reunited with family members.
It was unclear what relationship, if any, the teen had with the child. It was also unclear what circumstances led the child to be unattended in the vehicle.
Dallas police are handling the kidnapping and stolen vehicle charges, according to the television station. Gastonia police will be filing charges related to the chase and several traffic violations.
The teen was transported to the Cabarrus County Juvenile Detention Facility, the Dallas Police Department said.
