Children steal car, drive 1,000 kilometers to see Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Three children aged between 12 and 15 drove nearly 1,000 kilometers all the way to Istanbul after stealing a car in the Black Sea province of Ordu.

The minors, identified only by the initials S.Ö., E.K. and A.Y., broke into a car dealer in Ordu’s Altınordu district and stole two of the vehicles at the shop thanks to the keys they found.

The children first took a new vehicle and toured around for a while before abandoning it in an empty alley, they decided to go a long way with the other car they had their eyes on.

Each of whom was reported to have a large number of criminal records, the children eventually set off for Istanbul, about 950 kilometers from their hometown.

The trio, who somehow passed the toll booths and checkpoints between the cities, were seen in Istanbul’s Esenyurt, a working-class district on the far west of the city’s European side.

Later, they were apprehended in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu district following of the week-long efforts of a special team established to catch them, while the car was found in the Bağcılar district.

“We always saw Esenyurt on social media and we wanted to see it. We came and wandered here,” one of the children said during his interrogation at the police station.

The proceedings regarding the incident continue, according to the statement made by the Ordu Governor’s Office.

Meanwhile, the stolen car was also returned to its owner after procedures.