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Washington Runaway, 9, Steals Car, Sneaks Onto Flight to Tex

katrina

Well-known member
LAKEWOOD, Wash. — A 9-year-old boy who didn't like his suburban Tacoma home stole a car, got caught, then ran away again and flew to San Antonio with a plane change in Phoenix before he was arrested, authorities said.

Investigators and Southwest Airlines officials were trying to determine how Semaj Booker, who was trying to get to his grandfather in Texas, got through airport security and boarded the flights.

"The only thing I have to offer on that is that were looking into it," Southwest spokeswoman Beth Harbin said.

Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Jennifer Peppin said travelers must have a boarding pass to go through airport security checkpoints, although adults can use an escort pass to bring young children or seniors to a flight gate.

"That young man would've had to have a boarding pass," Peppin said.

The 80-pound, 4-foot-9 fourth grader, held in juvenile detention Tuesday night in San Antonio, was "incredibly motivated to get to Texas," Lakewood police Lt. David B. Guttu said. "He doesn't want to live in Washington state."

(Story continues below)

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The boy's mother, Sakinah Booker, said he dislikes the neighborhood where the family lives and is afraid of a sex offender who lives nearby.

"He does not like it here at all," she said.

She said she was told the boy wound up in San Antonio rather than Dallas, his intended destination, because he boarded the wrong plane in Phoenix. She also said she had hoped to move her four sons back to Dallas soon, but Semaj grew tired of waiting.

Gutto said the diminutive boy's odyssey began Sunday when he stole an Acura 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.

Police pursued young Booker on Highway 512 at 80 to 90 mph until he took an exit and the engine blew, after which the car went over a curb and coasted into a tree.

He refused to come out of the car, so officers broke a window to unlock a door and immediately recognized him as a frequent runaway and car thief, Gutto said. Last month he also crashed a stolen car before being caught by police in Tacoma, and more recently he was caught in Seattle in a stolen car that had run out of gas, his mother said.

She believes he learned to drive from playing video games on a PlayStation.

Because of those earlier episodes, she said, she had told police not to bring him home if he got into more trouble, but after the latest episode officials at Remann Hall, Pierce County's juvenile detention center, refused to admit him, partly because of his young age.

"Putting a 9-year-old in our facility with our population is not a good thing," said Shelly Maluo, the county's juvenile court administrator.

As a result, he was taken home again, but by 6 a.m. Monday he again had been reported missing. The next day, Guttu said, police got a call from a juvenile lockup in San Antonio saying, "we've got your runaway."

He said the boy was arrested as he got off a Southwest plane from Phoenix, but it was unclear how police in San Antonio learned he was on the flight. The boy initially gave a false name before admitting his true identity, Gutto said.

Deputy Prosecutor Fred C. Wist said Tuesday he had not decided whether to file charges in the car theft and police chase Sunday.

"It is very seldom that we see kids this young," he said.
 

memanpa

Well-known member
Faster horses said:
A 9-year old with a police record?????

What's wrong with this picture? :mad: :???: :shock:

liberal support???

liberal court systems?

what ever happened to the red butt program? the one that gave you one instead of blaming everyone but who is really at fault.

oh gee poor little boy doesn't like what life has dealt him, so it is everyone else's fault not his that he steals lies and cheats to get what he wants!
what is next???
 

Judith

Well-known member
He must be one heck of a smart little cookie! Clever kid to be able to pull that off I must say. M&P The red butt program was tossed out when the parents decided that the kids would have "self esteem" issues. I don't know I had my bottom tanned more than most kids,( I know everyone will be shocked to hear that I deserved every single one :shock: ) I turned out OK :)
 

Steve

Well-known member
who was trying to get to his grandfather in Texas,

was "incredibly motivated to get to Texas," Lakewood police Lt. David B. Guttu said. "He doesn't want to live in Washington state."

And who could blame him?:lol:


Not sure how I would handle this one,....

His mother doesn't want him at home,.....

Seems to respect his Grandfather....in that there might be a solution...



[/quote]
 

schnurrbart

Well-known member
memanpa said:
Faster horses said:
A 9-year old with a police record?????

What's wrong with this picture? :mad: :???: :shock:

liberal support???

liberal court systems?

what ever happened to the red butt program? the one that gave you one instead of blaming everyone but who is really at fault.

oh gee poor little boy doesn't like what life has dealt him, so it is everyone else's fault not his that he steals lies and cheats to get what he wants!
what is next???

I guess you think that all parents are liberals. It must be that way because the parents are the ones who decided that schools couldn't discipline their children and they won't either. Liberal courts didn't have anything to do with it.
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
You want to bet?

How about Child Services?

These kids nowdays KNOW that they can't be disciplined
like we were disciplined, like Judith says SHE was disciplined.
They threaten to call if they don't like what mamma does,
daddy does, or the SCHOOL does.

If you don't think liberal courts, even indirectly, had
anything to do with this, you are WRONG!!!!!!

My own grandson, when disciplined once, said he was calling
them. My daughter wisely said, "And then what? What happens then?
I'll tell you what happens. They come and take you away and we
will never see each other again."

He never tried that again. But just where do you think that
came from?
 

Judith

Well-known member
Having my butt tanned taught me to respect, I have no fear of my father like the experts claim will happen to your children.

Having my butt tanned taught me consequence. I grew up with boundries, i knew what would happen when I crossed them.

Having my butt tanned taught me that my parents loved me and would do anything to keep me from harm even if it hurt them to dole out punishment.

Having my butt tanned taught me to think before I acted.

Having two FAIR loving parents made all the difference in my life. I think kids today really have no idea which way is up. Something has got to change.

By the way I have no fear of men due to being spanked by one as a child, :p I also do not fear willow branchs nor am I hand shy as the experts would like to claim. The whole spanking issue is rediculas to me. Beating the crap out of a kid , well that's a wee bit different...
 

memanpa

Well-known member
in my opnion there are two major causes to the break down of todays children hence the breakdown of society today.
1: they removed corperal punishment from the schools, yes i admit that it was sometimes abused but more time than not it was not abused
2" DR Benjamin Spock and his "to spank is to ruin" attitude.

of course there are other factors to be considered as well but i feel that these are two of the more glaring reasons.

and it was the COURTS that handed down the decision to make corperal punishment against the law!
 

nonothing

Well-known member
memanpa said:
in my opnion there are two major causes to the break down of todays children hence the breakdown of society today.
1: they removed corperal punishment from the schools, yes i admit that it was sometimes abused but more time than not it was not abused
2" DR Benjamin Spock and his "to spank is to ruin" attitude.

of course there are other factors to be considered as well but i feel that these are two of the more glaring reasons.

and it was the COURTS that handed down the decision to make corperal punishment against the law!

How about the fact that men let down their sons/daughters by not including them in their lives?...How many Kids are without fathers,to guide,listen and discipline them?..Until people stop blaming government and start to be better parents,nothing will change.....You talk about liberal courts being to blame...When you were a kid how many 9 year olds even went to court?...Its not the court who's feet this falls at,And it is not the school responsibility to raise children... It is the men of today's society not taking responsibility for their own offspring,and the women who use their kids as pawns in marital disputes and for more government welfare money....Why does every bad thing have to be the fault of the government...It is time for North America to call on its men to start being more responsible and become much better fathers and for mothers to not just spread their legs and then let their children become societies burden....

To all good parents out there,thank you for being there.....
 

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