Boy, 12, under family court supervision accused of assaulting woman, stealing her car

Rochester, N.Y. — A 12-year-old boy is one of two people accused of threatening a woman in Greece, stealing her car, and leading police on a chase that ended with a crash in the city of Rochester.

It happened as he was under the supervision of Monroe County Family Court for a car theft and chase two months earlier. He’s also suspected in at least two burglaries in the city.

After the first car chase, a family court judge ordered him to home confinement. Sources confirm for 13 WHAM News that he then cut off his ankle monitor and went on an alleged crime spree with the help of a 13-year-old.

13WHAM is not releasing the 12-year-old’s name because of his age. He’s a seventh-grader who cannot be charged with a crime in criminal court or even as a juvenile offender.

Greece Police say on Sept. 15th, he knocked a 65-year-old woman to the ground as she was walking in the parking lot of Elmridge Plaza. At 3:30 pm, she was headed to get a hair cut.

The youths stole the victim’s keys, according to police.

“We believed they threatened her with a sharp object or knife,” said Sgt. Jared Rene of Greece Police.

Police spotted the stolen car as it turned from the plaza and traveled on West Ridge Road with the 12-year-old driving and the 13-year-old in the passenger seat.

“There was maybe three officers – lights and sirens going – trying to get this vehicle to stop and they just simply would not,” said Rene.

Sources tell 13WHAM the 12-year-old had caught off his ankle monitor to avoid detection by family court. He had received that monitor when he was ordered to home confinement for a similar incident in August.

That one happened around 8 a.m. Aug. 20th in Rochester. In that case, someone stole keys in a burglary the day before, then returned to steal a car and lead police on a chase. It’s alleged at one point the driver aimed the speeding vehicle directly at police officers.

“There was just a bunch of yelling and a car speeding by back and forth doing 80,” a witness said, describing the scene.

That chase ended in a crash at Oak and Lind streets. The 12-year-old driver ran off, but Rochester Police caught him a short time later.

Police are investigating whether the pair were involved in at least two burglaries after the monitoring device was removed.

Greece Police cannot confirm that, but call the timeline of events troubling.

“There certainly needs to be accountability in these cases, particularly when you’re dealing with patterns of crime,” said Rene. “Could that have prevented what happened in Greece? Maybe.”

The 12-year-old is now being held at a juvenile detention facility. He will be adjudicated for the robbery and grand larceny incidents in the September case and for burglary, grand larceny and reckless driving in the August case.