MINNEAPOLIS — The juvenile driver of a stolen SUV that led authorities on a high-speed pursuit through north Minneapolis Monday is now charged with six felonies, according to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office.
A spokesperson for the office said the boy, 12 years old at the time of the pursuit and crash on June 5 but now 13, was charged Wednesday with four counts of criminal vehicular operation, one count of fleeing a police officer and one of receiving stolen property.
None of the five juveniles who were in the stolen Kia with the young driver have been referred for criminal charges, according to Hennepin County Attorney's Office communications director Nicholas Kimball. Due to the age of those involved no additional information is being released at this time.
All six juveniles were detained following the pursuit, which ended in a violent crash that disabled two vehicles, destroyed a bus shelter and injured seven people. Besides the 12-year-old driver, sheriff's officials say the others inside the stolen vehicle were ages 14, 15, 15, 15 and 16.
What the sheriff's office would not confirm, is whether a gun was recovered during the arrest that would tie the young suspects to an alleged spree of violent crime associated with the silver Kia SUV. Authorities said the vehicle was tied to multiple armed robberies, attempted robberies and carjackings that triggered Monday's pursuit.
On Monday night the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office released a statement saying that "due to the violent nature of the earlier incidents, VOTF detectives and MPD officers initiated a pursuit consistent with department policy."
In the same release sheriff's officials said the pursuit began around noon Monday when members of the Violent Offenders Task Force and Minneapolis Police saw the silver Kia driving erratically and recognized that it may be involved in a trail of violent crimes.
The driver of the Kia fled and eventually ended up turning onto Olson Memorial Highway and proceeding at a high rate of speed. An unsuspecting motorist pulled out onto the highway and was struck by the stolen vehicle, with both careening into the bus shelter and a man standing either inside or nearby.
That man was taken to the hospital, as were the juveniles involved in the incident. Some of those young suspects were trapped inside the twisted Kia, while others tried to escape on foot but were caught by responding deputies and officers.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that four of the juveniles remained hospitalized, while two have since been placed in custody.
At this time it is unclear how many of the juveniles will face criminal charges, or what those charges would be. However, a statement from a Hennepin County spokesperson said a charging decision for the 12-year-old driver is expected sometime Wednesday.
Both the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the Minneapolis police have declined requests for an on-camera interview to answer questions about the incident.
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