Boy needed a boost to drive stolen car

Police say a 13-year-old boy used a 12-pack of Bud Light beer to see over the steering wheel of a stolen Dodge Intrepid over the weekend.

By TIMES STAFF
Published May 16, 2005

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TAMPA - A 12-pack of Bud Light beer doubled as a booster seat for a 13-year-old boy, barely four feet tall, who was caught driving a stolen car over the weekend, police said.

The Temple Terrace teenager was arrested on charges of auto theft Saturday after a short foot chase, Tampa police said.

The 2000 Dodge Intrepid had been reported stolen to Temple Terrace police sometime around 7 p.m. Tampa police officers Rob Fannin and Braxton Baird spotted the car "driving erratically with what looked like a young boy driving the car."

When the officers got closer to the vehicle, the teen ditched the car and took off on foot. Officers noticed that the steering column in the car had been dismantled and then went after the teen. They also found the pack of beer they said the teen used to help him see over the steering wheel.

A Temple Terrace police officer was still at the car owner's home completing a report when the Tampa officers caught up with the teen.