FREEPORT, Maine — A 14-year-old boy was charged with theft and reckless conduct after allegedly stealing a handgun from his parents, running away from home and firing the gun into the woods before he was caught by police Sunday evening.
The boy, whose name was not released, received a criminal summons for theft of a firearm and reckless conduct with a firearm, according to Freeport Police Chief Gerald Schofield.
Police went to the boy’s home on the west side of Freeport just after 3 p.m. Sunday, after the teen’s parents reported that he had run away. While officers searched, the boy’s father returned to the house and found a handgun and bullets missing, Schofield said.
The teen was seen along different roads throughout the afternoon, and he allegedly shot the gun into the woods several times before his mother found him late in the evening.
When police searched him, they found the gun, according to Schofield.
Officers took the teen to Maine Medical Center for treatment, the chief said. No court date was available on Monday.