Hartland Teen Arrested after Joyride with Stolen Car and Damaging Two Mailboxes

A 14-year-old teen was detained at a juvenile facility after admitting to damaging a stolen car, according to a report from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department.

Police say that on November 5, they responded to a complaint of car theft and breaking and entering on the 1500 block of Summerfield Lane in Hartland Township.

According to the report, a Hartland woman told police that her 2007 GMC Acadia had been stolen from her garage overnight and her purse and keys were missing from the kitchen. 

While driving to the scene, police say they had initially noticed a car parked near the curb and after investigating the vehicle, determined it was the missing car. According to the report, the car showed signs of damage consistent with being involved in a crash, smelled of smoke and found a black purse on the passenger side floorboard.

After inspecting her car, police say the Hartland woman discovered that $95 had been stolen from the purse and center console of the car.

Police say during their investigation, they received a tip regarding the stolen vehicle from a 13-year-old girl who had received text messages from the 14-year-old male suspect.

According to the report, the 13-year-old said she started receiving text messages from the suspect between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. telling her that he had broken into a house and stolen an “expensive” vehicle.

Police say the text messages also included information that the suspect had been smoking and drinking in the car, had hit two mailboxes and gave the location of where he left the vehicle around 4 a.m. that morning. 

When police tracked down the suspect, the 14-year-old said that he had broken into the house and stolen the vehicle because a friend had told him he would pay him $5 to do it, according to the report.

Police say the suspect entered the home the night before through an unlocked sliding door and after taking the car, picked up two friends and drove around through local subdivisions. According to the report, two mailboxes on Viewcrest Drive were hit, damaging the cars front headlight.  

Police say the suspect directed them to the location of the two damaged mailboxes where they found pieces of plastic from the car. According to the report, the smell of marijuana was noticed on the suspect, who admitted to smoking it the previous night as well.

The 14-year-old was arrested for breaking and entering and unlawfully driving away an automobile and was transported to the Livingston County Probation Office without incident.