Teenagers Steal Car, Lead Police on 100km Chase; Prosecution Denies Arrest Warrant Due to Age

[Anchor]

Teenagers without driver's licenses have been apprehended by police after stealing a car and fleeing for over 100 kilometers from Seoul to Cheonan. Although the police requested arrest warrants, the prosecution did not file them, citing reasons including the fact that the suspects are minors.

TJB reporter Kim So-young has this exclusive report.

[Reporter]

Late in the evening, in the busy downtown area of Cheonan.

A passenger car speeds through slow-moving traffic, with a police car in close pursuit.

Soon after, two more police cars join the chase, leading to a tense pursuit in the middle of the city.

Inside the car were four middle and high school students.

They had stolen the vehicle in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, around 1:00 PM on this day and were caught in Cheonan about eight hours later.

Investigations revealed that they had driven without a license for over 100 kilometers from Seoul to this downtown area in Cheonan.

Police investigation found that the group had been looking for unlocked cars to steal valuables from inside, but upon finding a car key inside one of the vehicles, they drove off with the car itself.

The police emergency-arrested the driver, a middle school student identified as A, on charges of unlicensed driving and special larceny, while the other three passengers were arrested on charges of special larceny.

The police requested arrest warrants, citing the threat to public safety caused by the long-distance unlicensed driving and the risk of recidivism.

However, the prosecution did not file for the warrants, taking into account that the suspects admitted to the crime, there was no significant risk of destroying evidence, and that they are minors.

Yet, in Cheonan last May, an elementary school student who was under investigation without detention for vehicle theft and riding in a stolen car repeated the same crime just one week later, leading the court to issue an emergency protective custody warrant.

Experts emphasize that even if they are not detained, effective measures to prevent recidivism must be implemented, such as strengthening parental supervision and imposing restrictions like nighttime curfews and probation.

(Video reporting: Choi Woon-gi, TJB | Design: Kim Yoon-jung, TJB | Footage courtesy of viewers Kim Kyung-hwa and Yoon Min-woo)

Reported by Kim So-young, TJB
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.