9 year old flies from MN to Las Vegas with NO ticket

[TravelingBug]

But I really am almost most curious about WHY he did the 'dry run.'

To go to the effort to take a suitcase (and risk not getting caught in the process or questioned as to why he was leaving the baggage claim area alone - well, I guess he could have blended in with others there too) and then do the meal and then SKIP out on the bill just seems...like a lot of scheming.

Nothing has indicated that he did the same thing the next day (obviously he couldn't try it in the same dining place, but he probably could have tried it and pulled it off at the gate area at an eating place there) so it wasn't a TRUE dry run.

So that really makes me wonder if the goal was: a) recon, b) just for kicks and then he pulled it off and decided to try something bigger (meaning the flight), c) just to get food (while doing his recon).

I'd LOVE to talk to this kid...or get him talking to a friend of his in a room with an observation room!

 

[TravelingBug]

It's also interesting to me that the airport security/authorities (heck, even TSA) weren't made aware of this kid.

If you had a YOUNG kid who was alone (and you know that from video) who skipped out on paying in a restaurant, you'd sure think they'd make everyone aware so it didn't happen again. Show a picture/screen cap/at least a general description from the employee.

And if you had a young kid skip out on a bill AND find out he had stolen a suitcase as part of his 'background story' (for lack of knowing what else to call it) don't you REALLY think they'd have told everyone?

That makes me wonder if the employee didn't actually admit to what happened until AFTER the whole thing with the kid actually making it on the plane happened.

Perhaps he knew he'd be in trouble for letting him leave his bag (or even not raising the 'alarm' to begin with that he a very young kid eating there alone - surely that's HIGHLY abnormal in an airport...or most other places to eat) and so maybe he paid the tab himself to not have to reveal what happened and to hope to avoid punishment?

I could sort of see that happen. Especially, as I said, if it were a younger (like older teen or elderly) person who he managed to sort of appeal to.

And then maybe once the story came out then they fessed up to what happened (or security looked back on film).

To be honest, I wonder if he's gone there before. Like perhaps just gone to the airport and walked around and not taken the measures he did on his 'scouting' trip the day before the flight. Maybe take the light rail and just buy a Coke in a pre-security shop? Or just wander?

 

[TravelingBug]

At the same time, for as well thought through as this seems to be, the pre-trip actually puzzles me more if I really think about it. His 'gig' (adventure) could have EASILY be up if he hadn't gotten away with the first event.

Surely, since he thought this through, he realized security SHOULD have been aware of him after the ploy the first day. Meaning he shouldn't have been able to pull off getting all the way onto a plane.

Why risk something that audacious - not just skipping out on paying, but stealing someone's suitcase as part of your 'cover'?

In some ways it almost makes me wonder if it's like some crazy game of truth and dare with an older kid...or like double dare...or some initiation thing.

Trying to get through three layers of security is a HUGE risk and nearly impossible to do...to risk that on top of theoretically being on security radar from the day before is...curious.

Or did he have some help?

Could the employee have been someone he knew? Then he knew he'd get away with the first run and the employee had no plans to reveal it, and perhaps it only came out upon viewing security film, and then the employee could play 'embarrassed' at getting 'played' by a kid or something?

It's all just very curious to me the more I think about it.

Maybe some station should offer him some frequent flier miles in exchange for talking

 

[looneymama]

Its been a while since I've been there, but I do remember it being really big and while eating at a restaurant I felt more like I was at a mall than at an airport. If he were to only dine and ditch, I might not think it was that crazy that people weren't alerted, but it changes when you have a kid stealing bags.

I read that the bag arrived before the owner did. When they arrived, they asked the owner to look through it and nothing was missing. So they had to know fairly soon afterwards that he did that.

Maybe after getting away with that, he thought he'd try for more. Maybe he was feeling pretty invincible. Maybe he realized he'd done that and his family didn't even notice. Maybe that thought....something like "They (family) wouldn't even notice if I were to jump on a plane." Sparked a eureka moment.

I wonder how much he is on his own.

Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk 2

 

[keeponsearching]

Wow, yes smart little guy. I can't imagine my son doing any of that. I would say he must fend on his own a good amount of the time.

I just can't figure out how he got pass screening. When my family of 4 goes through they are like right on top of us. First you show ID, then go through the metal thing and show your tickets.

I am quite concerned about this airport.

 

[Bipolar Express]

I need to know more about this...how can a nine year old do this and NOT be reported missing! Even a "I am staying at so and so's house" lie to parents, should require contact home once a day at least...my kids are required to call home, or I call them if they are gone more than just overnight.....maybe he did? Maybe he called home and pretended everything was on the up and up. This kid bears watching......sorry, but he does.

 

[burbqueen]

my hinky meter is up on these parents. He is a 9 year old, not a 13 year old or something and the parents had no clue he was missing?

And why would he run away?? CPS should be involved.

 

[TracyLynnS]

According to the dailymail article, the parents "told Minneapolis Police they 'hadn’t seen much of him today' when officers arrived at the missing child's residence on Thursday after he was reported having run away, according to CBS Minneapolis."

Yeah, we haven't seen much of him today. Ho hum. Not really a big deal. Whatever.....

He's only nine and was found halfway across the country! Gah!!!! The parents seem awfully dismissive of the whole thing, imo.

It made me wonder how much they actually participate in his life. Is he frequently left on his own all day and just shows up at home to go to bed at night? How often do the parents usually see him during the day? Is anyone checking to see that he's had his breakfast, lunch, dinner? Dressed properly for the weather? Isn't hanging out at some pervert's house?



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2446673/Runaway-boy-flies-Las-Vegas-ticket.html

 

[Bipolar Express]

Wow! He needs to be removed from the home if that is there attitude. I cant imagine not knowing where my 10 year old EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY. Or my 13 or even 14 year old for that matter. Unbelievable. SO, "havent seen him much today" translates to "oh he is around somewhere...could be at SOMEones house, dont know whose, could be a pedophile he's hanging around with, oh well...he'll come home when he's hungry"...This isnt the 1950s folks, wake the HE<< up.

 

[burbqueen]

ok is this kid not in school???? WTF!!

 

[CHICANA]

my hinky meter is up on these parents. He is a 9 year old, not a 13 year old or something and the parents had no clue he was missing?

And why would he run away?? CPS should be involved.

Is it possible he was already in CPS custody, and whoever was in charge was hoping to find him before reporting him missing ? I wonder if he chose that flight at random or he was trying to get to someone. He is a genius.

 

[burbqueen]

no in the article the police contacted his parents. NOthing I've read says he was in foster care or with CPS. He is smart, but I wonder how did he get so street wise at such a young age. Intelligence is one thing, but the confidence to navigate around strangers to that extreme and roam IMO is a learned behavior from a kid that use to fending for himself.

 

[jjenny]

Parents haven't seen "much of him" on Thursday? He was at the airport the previous day too.
I feel sorry for the kid. Is CPS going to give him back to parents? They don't seem to be able/or don't care to keep track of him.

 

[Trino]

Why wasn't he in school? Most schools have automated phone calls to a home when a child isn't in school, but you wouldn't believe the number of wrong numbers, incorrect numbers, disconnected numbers, especially from parents who aren't parenting much.

I'm concerned there are probably other children in the home. CPS should definitely be involved.

The 9 yr old must be fairly street smart. One story said he's wearing a monitor bracelet for fear that he would run away again.

 

[Gardenlady]

This kid is freakin sharp. He needs guidance and a good school, pronto. He's either going to end up a legit businessman or a very wealthy criminal. Someone needs to step in and make sure he goes the legal route! Come to think of it, he could combine the two and end up a successful politician lol! :crazy:

Reminds me of that Leo DiCaprio film, about the con artist guy who pretended to be a pilot, etc!

 

[jjenny]

A wealthy businessman? I wish I were that optimistic about his future.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

I've been to Minneapolis Airport a few times, and you pretty much have to take the tram to get around the airport unless you plan on walking really long distances. That's not too difficult (well for an adult, not sure about a kid) so there's another thing he navigated.

 

[southcitymom]

I've been outsmarted by crafty 9-year-olds....sigh! Glad he is safe and can't wait to hear the full story!

 

[Hejlena]

Its been a while since I've been there, but I do remember it being really big and while eating at a restaurant I felt more like I was at a mall than at an airport. If he were to only dine and ditch, I might not think it was that crazy that people weren't alerted, but it changes when you have a kid stealing bags.

I read that the bag arrived before the owner did. When they arrived, they asked the owner to look through it and nothing was missing. So they had to know fairly soon afterwards that he did that.

Maybe after getting away with that, he thought he'd try for more. Maybe he was feeling pretty invincible. Maybe he realized he'd done that and his family didn't even notice. Maybe that thought....something like "They (family) wouldn't even notice if I were to jump on a plane." Sparked a eureka moment.

I wonder how much he is on his own.

Sent from my NookColor using Tapatalk 2

What I don't get is how every shopkeeper, ticket/boarding agent, security guard, and custodian wasn't informed immediately, "hey we had this incident with a young kid today--stay on the lookout for awhile because he might do something stupid like try to stow away."

 

[Trino]

I'm doubting he planned to go to Las Vegas - bet the opportunity just presented itself to him as he walked by.

Minneapolis light rail is more honest driven than most metro light rail. You buy open air ticketing; no one is around to catch you, except conductors are on SOME light rail transits. One never knows which one. Once you get to the Mall of America from Minneapolis, light rail is free to the airport. So, this street saavy 9 yr old could easily have gotten on light rail from Minneapolis, gone to the MofA, then to the airport w/o a problem. I bet Wednesday wasn't the first time he did this. Sure would like to see his school grades and attendance.