Teen Stole Vehicle With Child Still In It In Stafford: Police

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — A teenager stole a vehicle in Stafford without knowing there was a teenager passenger still in it, the Stafford County Sheriff's Office said.

The teenage victim, who police did not identify by name or age, was not injured in the theft.

Authorities did not identify the 15-year-old suspect by name due to a Virginia law that protects the identity of minors accused of crimes. He is charged with grand larceny, credit card theft, petit larceny and conspiracy to commit a felony.

The child was released to a parent after his arrest. Stafford County's juvenile intake services chose not to detain the boy.

The theft occurred around 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the #418 Laundromat on Garrisonville Road. A woman said she drove to the business, but someone jumped into her running vehicle and drove away. The woman's sister was still in the vehicle, according to the police report.

The suspect forced the sister out of the moving vehicle and drove onto Garrisonville Road, police said. The victims' phones were still in the vehicle, which allowed deputies to track the suspect.

Authorities found the vehicle stopped in the 500 block of Garrison Woods Drive. Deputies identified the suspect and the victims were able to recover their phones and their vehicle.