“8-Year-Old Ohio Girl Takes Parents’ Car on Solo Drive to Target”
What started as a terrifying missing persons report quickly turned into an unexpected shopping adventure for an 8-year-old girl in Bedford, Ohio.
Early Sunday morning, a Bedford family contacted police in a panic after discovering that their 8-year-old daughter and their 2020 Nissan Rogue were missing. When officers arrived at the scene, neighbors provided doorbell camera footage showing the young girl getting into the car by herself and driving away.
Police immediately began searching nearby streets for the missing Nissan Rogue but were unable to locate the vehicle. That’s when they turned to Flock camera footage, a high-definition license plate recognition system often used by law enforcement to track vehicles or investigate crimes. The cameras identified the car near a local Target store, which ultimately led police to find the young driver safely inside the store.
Bedford Police shared an update on Facebook shortly after noon on Sunday, confirming the girl’s safe recovery.
“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. She’s now home safe. Not sure what she bought, or if she was even able to use her Target app to save 5%. We did let her finish her Frappuccino. We’re not mean.”
According to News 5 Cleveland, the girl was unharmed but did admit to hitting a mailbox during her drive to Target.
