Saturday, January 20, 2007

Car thief aged nine cons free flights

A nine-year-old boy faces a string of criminal charges after he stole a car, led police on a high-speed chase and then flew across America after talking his way on to two planes without a ticket.

Unhappy with suburban life after his family moved from Texas to Lakewood, Washington state, Semaj Booker developed a penchant for running away and stealing cars after apparently learning to drive by playing video games.

Last Sunday, he stole a car that had been left running outside a neighbour's house and was later spotted driving along an interstate highway.

Police pursued him at up to 90 mph until he came off the highway, the engine blew and the car ran into a tree.

Officers took him home but the following day he was off again, this time to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport where he obtained a Southwest Airlines boarding card, got through security and headed back to Texas to see his grandfather in Dallas.

He almost got there, flying to Phoenix, Arizona, and then taking a second flight to San Antonio, Texas. But there his luck ran out and he was apprehended trying to get on a third plane.

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