The third-grader told officers he "just wanted to drive around for a while" when he left the James Marshall School on Monday, officer Michael Amarillas said.

The diminutive driver snatched the keys from teacher Caren Brady's purse when she turned her back to the class. In order to operate the Dodge Caravan, he raised the driver's seat, lowered the steering wheel, adjusted the rearview mirror and turned off the radio.

The boy's mother commented that his favorite video game is Grand Theft Auto, a game the Entertainment Software Ratings Board recommends he not be playing for at least eight more years. Though it is not mentioned in the print article, CBS video coverage of the story also notes that the boy was a fan of go-kart racing and arcade racing games. A police officer interviewed in the video warns against the graphic and adult nature of the Grand Theft Auto video games and warned about "the types of things that it teaches kids, that killing cops and stealing cars is a cool thing." The news anchors expressed surprise at how many children at the school in question were also familiar with the game.