A 31-year-old man from Round Lake Park, Illinois is wanted by the police after he let an 11-year-old girl drive herself to school on the morning run, while he rode shotgun and another, 9-year-old child was in the back.
The incident actually occurred on January 9, but police still haven’t been able to track down the man, identified as Khafilu M. Oshodi. On January 14, the car that was used in the incident was reported stolen: it was a rental and it was never returned.
According to the Daily Herald, Oshodi was riding shotgun when the girl was driving. She pulled in front of the W.J. Murphy Elementary School and got out of the car. School staff noticed another kid got out from the back: a 9-year-old. When the children were out, Oshodi slid into the driver seat and drove off.
School staff alerted the police a couple of hours later and, based on their description, officers were able to identify Oshodi as the suspect. As it turns out, his driver’s license was also suspended.
The fact that he let a minor drive herself to school aside, Oshodi’s gesture was all the more dangerous because it happened on the busy school run, Police Chief George Filenko says for the publication. Letting a child drive a vehicle under these circumstances is very reckless.
“Drop-off and pickup are the busiest times of the school day,” he explains. “Numerous children, staff and parents are present in the drop-off area. This irresponsible behavior could've resulted in any number of tragic scenarios.”
Oshodi was charged with child endangerment and driving on a suspended license, and he will have to face the consequences of his act, when police catch him. Other reports online say that the minor children were not his own, but were his relatives.
According to the Daily Herald, Oshodi was riding shotgun when the girl was driving. She pulled in front of the W.J. Murphy Elementary School and got out of the car. School staff noticed another kid got out from the back: a 9-year-old. When the children were out, Oshodi slid into the driver seat and drove off.
School staff alerted the police a couple of hours later and, based on their description, officers were able to identify Oshodi as the suspect. As it turns out, his driver’s license was also suspended.
The fact that he let a minor drive herself to school aside, Oshodi’s gesture was all the more dangerous because it happened on the busy school run, Police Chief George Filenko says for the publication. Letting a child drive a vehicle under these circumstances is very reckless.
“Drop-off and pickup are the busiest times of the school day,” he explains. “Numerous children, staff and parents are present in the drop-off area. This irresponsible behavior could've resulted in any number of tragic scenarios.”
Oshodi was charged with child endangerment and driving on a suspended license, and he will have to face the consequences of his act, when police catch him. Other reports online say that the minor children were not his own, but were his relatives.