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

[Anchor]

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

TJB reporter Kim So-young has this exclusive report.

[Reporter]

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

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

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

Inside the vehicle were four middle and high school students.

They had stolen the car in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, at around 1:00 p.m. today and were caught in Cheonan about eight hours later.

Investigations revealed that they drove without a license for over 100km from Seoul to this downtown area in Cheonan.

Police found that the suspects were looking for unlocked cars to steal valuables when they discovered the car keys inside, prompting them to steal the vehicle and flee.

The police emergency-arrested the driver, a middle school student identified as A, on charges of driving without a license 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, considering that the suspects admitted to the crime, there was no significant risk of destroying evidence, and 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 escort warrant.

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

(Video by Choi Woon-ki, TJB | Graphics by Kim Yoon-jung, TJB | Footage courtesy of viewers Kim Kyung-hwa and Yoon Min-woo)

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