8-Year-Old Drives Family Car To Target For $400 Shopping Spree

A family in Ohio is probably experiencing a whirlwind of feelings right now after their 8-year-old daughter pulled off quite the stunt over the weekend. This past Sunday, they reported their young daughter and the family car missing in the early hours. The police sprang into action to track down the little girl.

One of their first moves was to ask for security camera footage from the neighborhood. And guess what? Aa Ring camera caught the girl hopping into the car around seven in the morning and driving off solo. The next step was to find the family’s Nissan SUV and make sure the young driver was alright.

Soon after the missing child report went out, local police started receiving tips from worried drivers about a car being driven by a very young motorist “heading east.” Putting two and two together, officers began tracking where the little girl and the family vehicle were headed.

The Bainbridge Police Department eventually spotted the missing car in a Target parking lot, about 25 minutes (10 miles) from where the adventure began. Officers went into the store, hoping to find the girl. And sure enough, she wasn’t missing; she was busy shopping at Target.

Bainbridge PD shared this playful update on their Facebook page once they had reunited the girl with her family.

“Well, I’ve finally found a woman who’s in more of a hurry to shop at Target than my wife. More of a hurry by 8 years. That’s right, an 8-year-old took mommy’s car this morning and drove to Target in Bainbridge to shop.”

They continued, “Thankfully she made it and was immediately located by Bainbridge Police. She’s now home safe. Not sure what she bought, or if she was even able to use her Target app to save 5%. We did let her finish her Frappuccino. We’re not mean.”

While many were quick to point out how the little girl’s adventure could have ended in disaster, some folks couldn’t resist cracking jokes about the situation. “I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty impressed. There’s some adults that can’t manage that drive on their own, let alone only hitting a mailbox,” one person said.

On the flip side, another commenter was less amused.“This isn't funny at all. The reason these kids do this is because you laugh it off and they think they are cute," they said. "She could have been hurt or seriously hurt someone else. I’m not trying to blame the parents; I just don't think it is cute to joke about it.”

According to Target employees, the 8-year-old walked into the store with about $400 in cash, on a mission to shop. And if you’re wondering, the store did refund her purchase.

When questioned about her Target adventure, the little girl admitted to bumping into a mailbox on the way. Fortunately, that was the only hiccup, and she was perfectly fine when found. The family showed up to retrieve their car and daughter but opted not to talk to the media (can’t imagine why).

Catch more on the 8-year-old’s solo Target escapade in the news video below.