Tuscaloosa Police Charge 12-Year-Old With Stealing 8 Cars in a Month

Police in Tuscaloosa have arrested a 12-year-old they believe is responsible for a spree of vehicle thefts in the area in the last month and charged the juvenile with 18 felonies.

Stephanie Taylor, a spokesperson for the Tuscaloosa Police Department, said officers arrested the juvenile suspect this Saturday after an officer spotted him driving a stolen vehicle at high speeds on James I. Harrison Parkway.

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Taylor said the TPD officer conducted a traffic stop and discovered the 12-year-old behind the wheel, reportedly wearing gloves and carrying a screwdriver and other thieves' tools in his pockets.

The stolen car he was driving this weekend was allegedly not the pre-teen's first rodeo - Taylor said investigators now believe the juvenile suspect is responsible for stealing eight vehicles reported stolen between March 30 and April 21, and attempting to steal three vehicles between March 20 and April 3.

Taylor said the boy is also accused of stealing cash, a Chucky doll and a designer purse from a vehicle and using stolen credit cards to make more than $1,000 in online purchases.

Because of the suspect's age, TPD cannot release any identifying information about him, but Taylor said the child was arrested and charged with eight counts of first-degree theft of vehicles, three counts of attempted first-degree theft, five counts of fraudulent use of a credit or debit card, one count of unlawful breaking and entering a motor vehicle and one count of possession of burglar’s tools.

Taylor said the 12-year-old is being held at the Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Detention Center pending a court hearing.