Fountain Valley : Runaway, 14, Arrested on Car Theft Charges
A 14-year-old runaway girl from Seattle was arrested on suspicion of stealing a car after officers stopped her and two 13-year-old friends during a joy ride because the vehicle’s high beams were on, police said Monday.
The girl, who had run away from her Seattle home on Saturday, was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft after Fountain Valley Police Officer Chris Cowan stopped the car at Magnolia Street and Edinger Avenue at 6:35 p.m. Sunday, Police Sgt. Larry Griswold said.
The girl, whose name was withheld because of her age, told police she flew to John Wayne Airport on Sunday morning, then stole the car from a Budget-Rent-A-Car parking lot, Griswold said. The keys had been routinely left in the car.
The runaway then picked up two 13-year-old friends from Fountain Valley and the trio went on an afternoon ride, police said. The unidentified friends, a girl and a boy, were released to their families. Griswold said the runaway teen-ager was released to an aunt who lives in the area.
Griswold said police do not know how the young girl paid for her airplane ticket.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
