Two 13-Year-Old Ohio Runaways Enjoy 650 Mile Road Trip To Kansas City

Two 13-year-old boys from Columbus, Ohio thought it would be wild to steal a car and drive it hundreds of miles to Kansas City, Missouri, according to The Washington Post. It’s kind of like director Billy Weber’s 1993 kid-oriented road trip flick Josh and S.A.M., except with a lot less drama and Hollywood theatrics.

After trekking nearly 650 miles across the country, the boys were eventually picked up in Kansas City, courtesy of a tip left on Facebook. The boys were taken into custody on Monday after the vehicle was spotted in a downtown alley. Authorities claim that both boys were sound asleep in the car at the time.

The New York Daily News reports that, in addition to stealing the car, the boys also lifted one of the parent’s credit cards. However, after stopping to fill up at a gas station, the card was effectively turned off.

“They were fine, fortunately,” explained Captain Steve Young said. “I think there are definitely a whole lot of things that could have gone wrong for them, and having the police find them probably would be one of the better outcomes.”

Catherine Johnson, mother of one of the runaways, was relieved that her son was alive and well, albeit hundreds of miles away from home. Although her boy was eventually located by police, Johnson isn’t overly thrilled with how authorities handled the situation.

“How it went on for two days and no one noticed boggles my mind,” Catherine said to the Post as she waited for a flight to Missouri to pick up her son and his friend.

Johnson has since filed a complaint with the Columbus police department, claiming it took them way too long to investigate her son’s disappearance and alert local authorities about the situation. Naturally, Columbus police have defended their handling of the scenario, stating it was conducted in a professional manner.