URGENT UPDATE: Four teenage boys from Grand Forks have been arrested for a series of car thefts, shocking the local community. The boys, aged 13 and 14, are now in custody as authorities investigate their involvement in stealing and joyriding multiple vehicles.
At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, two 13-year-old boys turned themselves in at the Grand Forks police station. They are part of an ongoing investigation that has implicated a total of 13 boys in similar thefts. Authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant as they assess the extent of these thefts.
According to juvenile officer Duane Johnson, the boys confessed to stealing four cars since Monday night. The vehicles were typically taken with the keys left inside, driven for about 15 minutes, and then abandoned. The situation escalated when two other boys, aged 13 and 14, were detained after a stolen car they were driving flipped around 10 miles east of East Grand Forks.
In a separate report, Jack St. Lawrence, a local worker, reported his 1956 model car stolen from 1st St. S.E. near the Jerome Dunlevy Ready-Mix Plant. Just half an hour later, a school bus driver witnessed a car veering off the road and overturning, prompting the police to act swiftly.
With the community reeling from these incidents, Johnson noted that the boys had been released to their parents last week while awaiting proceedings in Juvenile Court. This troubling series of events raises questions about youth behavior and the influence of peer pressure in such criminal activities.
As investigations continue, local authorities are calling for heightened awareness among residents regarding vehicle security. The community will be closely watching how this case unfolds in Juvenile Court in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned for more updates as we track this developing story.
