URGENT UPDATE: Four teenage boys from Grand Forks have been arrested for their involvement in a spree of car thefts, shocking the local community. Just hours ago, authorities confirmed that the boys, aged 13 and 14, are implicated in multiple incidents of joyriding and theft.
At approximately 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, two of the boys, both aged 13, turned themselves in at the Grand Forks police station. This follows an ongoing investigation that previously linked 13 boys in their early teens to a series of car thefts over the past week. The situation escalated after two other boys, one aged 13 and the other 14, were detained overnight in the East Grand Forks city jail after a stolen car flipped approximately 10 miles east of the city.
According to Duane Johnson, a juvenile officer, the boys admitted to stealing four cars since Monday night. They typically took vehicles with the keys inside, drove them for about 15 minutes, and then abandoned them. Disturbingly, all four boys had been released to their parents last week to await juvenile court proceedings.
The series of thefts has left the community rattled. In a recent report, local resident Jack St. Lawrence, of 610 Eighth Ave. S. E., stated that his 1956 model car was stolen near the Jerome Dunlevy Ready-Mix Plant. Just thirty minutes later, a school bus driver reported seeing a car leave the road and overturn. The driver witnessed two young individuals fleeing the scene on foot.
St. Lawrence was promptly notified by police and, with the help of local farmers, managed to track down the boys as they attempted to escape. The damage to his vehicle has been reported as extensive.
As investigations continue, local authorities are urging parents to speak with their children about the dangers and consequences of such reckless behavior. The community is on high alert, and further developments are expected as the juvenile court proceedings unfold.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story as officials work to address the rising concerns about youth crime in the area.
