7-year-old boy's joyride costly

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla., April 26 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Florida boy on an 8-minute joyride in grandma's sport utility vehicle left a trail of broken mail boxes and bent fenders in his wake, police say.

No one was hurt in the Friday incident in Palm Beach Gardens, the Palm Beach Post reported Saturday.

It all started, police said, when the boy took the keys to the SUV, climbed aboard and took off. Onlookers noticed the vehicle being driven erratically by "a small person," city police Officer Ellen Lovejoy told the Post.

After taking out a couple of mail boxes, the boy veered into a crowded Costco parking lot, hitting two parked cars, police said. Undeterred, he continued on, hitting two moving vehicles.

Eventually, he plowed into a sign, shearing a wheel off the SUV, bringing the adventure to an end.

The boy, whose name wasn't released, was charged with stealing a vehicle and turned over to his family.

"This is unusual behavior for a 7-year-old," said Lovejoy, noting the case would probably not be prosecuted.