Eight-year-old drives mom’s car to Target nearly 30 minutes away

Your support helps us to tell the story

Support Now

Find out moreClose

As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.

Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.

Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election

Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

An eight-year-old Ohio girl drove herself to a Target nearly half an hour away, local police revealed.

The girl drove her mother’s SUV for 24 minutes from Bedford, Ohio to a Target in nearby Bainbridge on Sunday morning, local outlet Cleveland 19 News reports, citing police records.

Bedford Police received a report of a missing kid and car around 9 am on Sunday morning, according to Cleveland 19 news. They put out a lookout call for both the girl and the car before asking the girl’s neighbors if they had seen anything.

Next-door neighbors gave police access to their Ring doorbells, which are equipped with cameras and microphones. Footage showed the eight-year-old driving off by herself that morning.

Officers weren’t able to find the girl on the road – though security footage did show her driving on a nearby road, Cleveland 19 News reports. Police found the girl inside the Target on Sunday morning. Her family picked her up from the store.

Bedford Police said the girl is safe at home in a Sunday afternoon statement. The girl told police she hit a mailbox while driving, Cleveland 19 News reports.

“Well I’ve finally found a woman who’s in more of a hurry to shop at Target than my wife. More of hurry by 8 years,” the department wrote on Facebook. “That’s right an 8 year old took mommy’s car this morning and drove to Target in Bainbridge to shop. Thankfully she made it and was immediately located by Bainbridge Police.”

“Not sure what she bought, or if she was even able to use her Target app to save 5%,” the department continued. “We did let her finish her Frappuccino. We’re not mean.”

The girl will not be criminally charged because she is too young, police told local outlet Fox 8.