A 13-year-old Gardiner boy who allegedly stole a minivan and led police on a high-speed car chase Thursday morning from Hallowell to Gardiner was arrested in Gardiner on several charges.

The chase began about 4 a.m. Thursday after a Hallowell police officer saw the 2010 Honda minivan heading south at a high rate of speed, said Chief Eric Nason, of the Hallowell Police Department.

It ended 6 miles later after the boy drove through Farmingdale at speeds upward of 90 mph, crossed into Gardiner, drove in various directions there, then abandoned the vehicle on a walking path at the city boat landing, Nason said.

Officers from Hallowell and Gardiner police and Maine State Police pursued the boy and found him elsewhere in Gardiner, Nason said. They arrested him on charges of driving to endanger, operating without a license, theft by unauthorized use of property and eluding a police officer.

After his arrest, the boy was taken to the Gardiner Police Department.

It was not the first time in recent memory that boys were arrested on charges of vehicle theft in that part of Kennebec County. In June, police accused two 15-year-old boys — one from Farmingdale, one from Whitefield — of stealing eight cars over a period of one week. They allegedly stole most of the cars from Farmingdale and one from Litchfield.

Charles Eichacker — 621-5642

ceichacker@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @ceichacker


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