PlayStation teaches 9-year-old how to steal his third car?

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jan 18th 2007 at 10:11AM }

Get this: a 9-year-old kid steals his neighbor's car, gets spotted by police on the interstate, guns it, and a 90 mph chase ensues. Kid tries to take an exit ramp, engine blows, car hits a curb, coasts into a tree, and he's captured. It's the third vehicle the 4th grader's stolen. And guess what? Mom believes "PlayStation" taught him to drive. Oy!

And that's just the beginning! The real story is that the boy most recently evaded airport security, managing to hop a Southwest Airlines flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to San Antonio, Texas. He was eventually apprehended while attempting to catch another flight to Dallas, where he had hoped to reunite with his grandfather.

[Thanks, Dutch1ne]

Tags: PlayStation

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

John @ Jan 18th 2007 10:17AM

LOL awesome!

Jon @ Jan 18th 2007 10:22AM

I blame Kojima and Metal Gear Solid then.

Djmajin @ Jan 18th 2007 10:23AM

who the f@ck is this kid Jack Bauer?

Dracula Jones @ Jan 18th 2007 10:30AM

Bart Simpson lives!

gotjpeg @ Jan 18th 2007 10:31AM

That is one bad ass kid, and horrible parenting. God bless America! Cause only in America we can get away with the real problem by blaming it on something else.

The Intangible Fact @ Jan 18th 2007 10:34AM

"Mom believes playstation taught him"

What a dumb bitch! Maybe it could have been all those times you drove him to school or to a friends house. The kid is a fast learner. Maybe mom should have set some rules about cars! Stupid parents. Man I hate people.

That kid would have got such a major ass whoopin after the first car jacking he wouldnt touch a car in years.

zero2dash @ Jan 18th 2007 10:42AM

9 year olds aren't supposed to play Grand Theft Auto.

Perhaps if mom was doing her job as a parent, these events wouldn't have happened.

But, of course...it's SOMEONE ELSE'S FAULT that this woman can't cut it as a mother. Way to show your child how it's ok to blame others and not take responsibility for your own actions.

GameNinja @ Jan 18th 2007 10:44AM

@gotjpeg:

Not true! They're getting pretty good at it over in Germany, too...

Intentless @ Jan 18th 2007 10:49AM

So is this proving that airport securities.... "AI" isn't much better than... say GTA's AI..........

Brogan @ Jan 18th 2007 10:51AM

sounds like a little shit but freaky smart with it

gwangi @ Jan 18th 2007 10:56AM

This kid is awesome. Some great parenting going on there. Oh wait no it's the video games.

justin @ Jan 18th 2007 10:58AM

"... playstation taught him to drive"

That's actually pretty feasible in terms of the basics. Think about all of the PR stunts where professional drivers drive virtual versions of real tracks to show how real they are, and racing wheels with force feedback and 900 degrees of rotation to match real cars. Even moving from a controller to a car, it's a fairly easy transition to make after a bit of learning how hard to press pedals, etc. I am surprised he was able to work the pedals and still see over the dash though.

Ipsum @ Jan 18th 2007 11:00AM

Wow. If this kid's been playing too much PlayStation, then his mother has been watching too much Rugrats. How else do you explain how little she supervises him?

MrKniceGuy @ Jan 18th 2007 11:05AM

Sheesh. Parents like that should be taken out the the back 40 and "old yellerd." That's just stupid, and to think it's because he played video games. You know, I've been "taught" by video games to jump on people's heads and eat mushrooms.. doesn't mean my parents didn't tell me that you shouldn't jump on people's heads or you will hurt them and eating the wrong mushrooms will make you very dead! So I don't jump on peoples heads or eat mushrooms from anywhere (other than my dealer or what I get from the grocery store). Don't blame games for your inability to parent!

Saneless @ Jan 18th 2007 11:06AM

I've been playing driving games since before this kid was born, twice over, and I couldn't steal a car and I'd be worried about driving 90 away from cops.

When you suck as a parent, blame games.

Jerk Face @ Jan 18th 2007 11:06AM

That might just be the most ridiculous story I've ever heard in my life. I mean, how did he reach the freaking pedals!?

mike @ Jan 18th 2007 11:11AM

this era's Frank Abignale. Except he's stealing cars instead of floating checks.

Sarge @ Jan 18th 2007 11:14AM

Where does it say that he learned it from GTA? It just says he learned from the Playstation. That could be any old racing game. Maybe he was a Gran Turismo nut.

That being said, if one of the games was GTA, that's a bad thing, to be sure, but did the mother buy it for him? Did she know he was playing it? I always find it odd and just a little bit one-sided when everyone immediately jumps out and says, "It's the parent's fault!", with little to no culpability on the part of the movies, games, books, or music that sometimes inspires this kind of behavior. There's enough blame to go around, and until we know more beyond the circumstances reported, I'll withhold judgment, thank you very much.

It's going to be very funny when some of you (including myself) have kids and realize that there is no way on God's green earth you can keep your eyes on your kids 24-7, regardless of how good a parent you are.

Sarge out.

SSUK @ Jan 18th 2007 11:21AM

It could be, you know... The movies that depict how to hotwire a car, could be movies showing him how to escape, could be movies showing him how to evade security at airports, but no... As usual, the culprit is video games.

Where as I'll agree, video games could easily have taught the kid how to drive a car... I really don't think video games have enough insightful knowledge to actually steal one. I don't think there's ever been a game which depicts in detail how to properly pop locks, hotwire cars. If the little bastard stole the keys, then come on... Anything or anyone could make the idea "Hmm, keys + car = easy."
Hats off to the little blighter anyway, much cooler than anything I ever did at 9.

Jonathan Tran @ Jan 18th 2007 11:22AM

wow Leonardo DiCaprio had babies

this is awesome, yet troubling

Firegirl @ Jan 18th 2007 11:24AM

Wow, let's blame the videogames instead of the parents who failed this kid miserably. And it sounds like the kids was trying to make his way to the only responsible adult that he has in his life. That mom should be sterilized!

jaysins @ Jan 18th 2007 11:24AM

Well it obvious the kid is trying to escape from her probably not so good parenting. Makes you wonder if the child has an abusive family or what not to be so adamantly trying to flee. I mean he had a plan and all. That is one incredibly resourceful kid for sure.

Harold @ Jan 18th 2007 11:27AM

Sounds like shitty parenting.

james @ Jan 18th 2007 11:28AM

Wow, I wasn't as smart as this kid when I was nine. If anything Playstation is to blame for his fast development.

Ipsum @ Jan 18th 2007 11:30AM

And can anyone explain how, at 9 years old, he's tall enough to step on the pedals *and* see over the steering wheel?

Paul @ Jan 18th 2007 11:34AM

I am afraid that this kid is messed up, far beyond anything that "PlayStation" could have done to him. It's called "CrapParenting" and the blame shouldn't be shifted towards video games, movies, or music. I guess that whole Marilyn Manson told me to do it while I was playing Doom and had The Exorcist playing in the background excuse is coming back.

raquor @ Jan 18th 2007 11:35AM

This from the article: The boy was unhappy after his family moved to Lakewood, outside Tacoma. His odyssey began Sunday when he stole a car that was left running outside a neighbor's house, only to be spotted by police near the interchange of Interstate 5 and State Route 512, authorities said.

So all he really had to do was press the triangle button. ;)

Player1 @ Jan 18th 2007 11:48AM

I wonder what game the mother played that taught her how to be a terrible parent.

Fhaze @ Jan 18th 2007 11:49AM

"...3rd vehicle the kid has stolen"

WTF? Maybe after the first one you should keep a closer eye on your kid?

At least he didn't go by the alias Sephiroth or any other FF7 character. I guess we can be thankful for that.

4ham @ Jan 18th 2007 11:50AM

He didn't evade airport security. He had an e-ticket. he lied at the ticket counter and told them he was 12 so he could fly by himself. I'm sure his mother will say his playstation taught him how to steal her credit card.

Edge of Blade @ Jan 18th 2007 11:57AM

I suppose the movie Catch Me If You Can taught him how to steal airline flights.

I vote for banning movies with DiCaprio. It's completely logical.

DouggyD @ Jan 18th 2007 12:05PM

Wow, that is one crazy story, I can't imagine what I would do if that was my kid, but like others have said, this should have been dealt with long before it got to this level...

Jessica @ Jan 18th 2007 12:09PM

If that was my kid, I'd be terrified, yet proud. He's obviously very intelligent and totally lacking in fear of authority. He'll make a fantastic adult if he doesn't land his ass in jail.

Makes my little snot who tried to stage a class rebellion in the first grade seem positively angelic.

x876543 @ Jan 18th 2007 12:20PM

I drove my parent's car into a light pole going 5 mph when I was 4 years old. I stood on the driver seat, threw the car in drive (or neutral) and started driving. This was back before the safety feature was put on cars where you have to depress the brake to change gear.

Have you seen some 9 year olds? Some are super tall or big. It's not impossible that he could be tall for his age. Probably how he got around the airport security about his age.

Greg2k @ Jan 18th 2007 12:21PM

Nine years old? He should have been playing Nintendo

Oz @ Jan 18th 2007 12:27PM

Intelligence agencies should have gifted kids training programs and train this kid :). Serious covert operations material. Skipping airport security ... Cool. Driving a car at 90 miles in a police chase .. Dangerous. Doing all that when you are 9... PRICELESS.

Player1 @ Jan 18th 2007 12:32PM

"If that was my kid, I'd be terrified, yet proud. He's obviously very intelligent and totally lacking in fear of authority."

Of course he lacks any fear of authority. His mother doesn't seem to do anything when he steals cars which he could potentially kill himself or someone else with. He shouldn't have had any opportunity to do so after the first time. That darn Playstation doesn't seem to be very good at punishing him, does it Mom?

justin @ Jan 18th 2007 12:41PM

hoax

DrkMatter @ Jan 18th 2007 1:07PM

I'm getting rather annoyed even by the many knee-jerk, protective reactions of gamers all-around whenever the words "video game" are mentioned in a news story.

The mother said, quote: "PlayStation taught him to drive". She didn't say: "PlayStation made him a wild, uncontrollable and depraved child. PlayStation taught my kid to steal cars and kill hoes!". Just, and I will quote it again to make the point clearer: "PlayStation taught him how to drive".

So why are people coming around yelling: "Oh sure, blame GTA (Which wasn't mentioned)" or "You should be blaming your poor parenting!". She didn't BLAME the PlayStation, just identified as a likely cause. Maybe she bought him a driving wheel and pedal accessory and Gran Turismo, rated E for everyone.

"Gamers" need to stop trying to victimize themselves and believing that mainstrem media is out to get them.

David004 @ Jan 18th 2007 1:11PM

Wow, the mom needs to lose the kid. The kid should not be living with his mother. I say if he wants his grandma so much that he should live with her.

And if a Playstation game taught him to drive, did they have a wheel and peatles for the PS, then what game is it? A TEEN rated game maybe? Dumbass bitch mother.

theGreatOne @ Jan 18th 2007 1:11PM

can Wii fanboy's claim a victory on the grounds that 360/PS3 HD graphics will only help to show kids how to do this stuff in more detail?

Bennyishere @ Jan 18th 2007 1:14PM

I blame television. Nah, I'm kidding :P

He's obviously a criminal mastermind to be. The mother's just pointing the finger at someone but herself.

MastahLink @ Jan 18th 2007 1:21PM

Playstation taught me how to cook coke and make crack. I blame Kaz Hirai and Ken Katugari for our drug epidemic.

Gubbers @ Jan 18th 2007 1:35PM

Pretty smart kid, won't you say??
Yet, I don't think he learned all this by playing driving games...more likely, the boy is the reencarnation of Big Boss himself.

If he were my son, I wouldn't ground him. Instead, I would beg him to teach me to do these things =P

James @ Jan 18th 2007 2:06PM

Shouldn't this kid be in a detention center and the parent in jail for neglect... all seriousness aside though... that's some mission impossible shit right there.

Player1 @ Jan 18th 2007 2:46PM

DrkMatter,

The media DOES try to tie things back to videogames every chance they get. They prey on the perception that games are for kids only, and that gives them tons of opportunities to say "your children are in danger, find out why at 9:00".

I mean seriously, they have stories about the wii and PSP "pulling porn out of thin air" all the time. They don't ever say anything about computers do they?

Ipsum @ Jan 18th 2007 2:50PM

@ x876543

You are aware that a car will begin to move on its own (ever so slowly) if you put the car in drive and let go of the brakes, yes?

He may very well be tall for his age, but I have a 9 year old brother, and he's pretty big, and I don't see any way in hell that he could possibly drive and look where he's going unless he was *standing* very uncomfortably. As for the airport security, maybe they thought he was a short 12 year old?