15-year-old driving stolen SUV says she needed to 'get around,' Madison police say

By: CBS 58 Newsroom

Posted: Jan 9, 2018 2:49 PM CDT

MADISON, Wis. - (WISC) A 15-year-old caught driving a stolen SUV and almost hitting an officer told police she’d likely be driving more stolen vehicles in the future to “get around,” Madison police said.

Madison police were called Monday afternoon to the 5800 block of Russett Road for a noise complaint, according to a release.

Someone parked in an SUV in an apartment building parking lot was blasting the stereo, police said.

Officers determined the SUV had been reported stolen out of Baraboo, and when an officer approached the SUV, the 15-year-old driver hit the gas, nearly striking the officer, according to a release.

The 15-year-old and the SUV were found a short time later on Thurston Lane, police said.

The 15-year-old told police she and others had recently gone to the Wisconsin Dells area intending steal a car, according to the release. The 15-year-old told police she wasn’t the one who stole the SUV, but said she had been driving it to school.

The arresting officer told the 15-year-old she should take the bus, but she said she’d likely be driving more stolen vehicles because she doesn’t like taking buses and she needs to get around, officials said.

The 15-year-old faces tentative charges of operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent and fleeing or eluding an officer.