11 Year Old New York Schoolgirl „Burst Into Tears” After Being Falsely Arrested For Being A Car Thief

An 11-year-old New York girl burst into tears when deputies mistakenly handcuffed her for several minutes, believing she was a car thief.

Video footage shows the girl was walking home from Brighton Academy Middle School in Syracuse with friends when Onondaga County deputies stopped her, just five blocks from where teens had abandoned a stolen Kia, according to the NY Post.

Video from her cousin showed that the deputies detained her for seven minutes, citing her pink puffer jacket, camo pants, and white sneakers as matching the description of a suspect.

The other children repeatedly told deputies they had the wrong person, but the officers insisted she was the suspect, even showing them a photo for comparison, the footage shows.

“Girl, you gonna tell me this ain’t you?” an officer says to the girl. Another added: “It is what it is. If you’re honest, it will make it easy.”

Photo: NY Post

The girl’s cousin pointed out that the suspect had lighter skin and longer hair.

The NY Post report says that when more deputies arrived, the 11-year-old began crying as the situation sank in. After nearly seven minutes, deputies realized their mistake, released her, and apologized.

“I’m sorry about it, but you matched the description pretty clearly,” the officer later said.

“That was the only freedom she had, and it’s now gone,” the girl’s mother said, referring to her walk to school. “I can’t make sense of it. I couldn’t even finish watching the video. Even if it wasn’t my child, I wouldn’t be able to finish watching the video because that’s not how you handle children.”

The stolen Kia led to a brief chase before four occupants fled. Police arrested three boys, but the suspect in the pink coat remains at large.

The sheriff’s office defended detaining the girl, citing her clothing and location, and stated handcuffing is standard for control. Sheriff Tobias Shelley, after meeting with the girl’s mother, promised to notify parents when juveniles are detained.