An 11-year-old girl from Syracuse, New York, was left upset and confused after police handcuffed her, mistakenly thinking she was a suspect in a car theft because of her outfit.
The incident happened on January 13 when the girl was walking home from school and playing in the snow with friends. Deputies from the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office stopped her, saying she matched the description of a car theft suspect... Continue reading here ▶
The theft had occurred the day before, and the suspect was described as wearing a pink puffy coat and camouflage pants—similar to what the girl was wearing.
The girl’s cousin, who was with her at the time, recorded the encounter on her phone. The girl and her friends repeatedly told police she wasn’t involved in the crime, but officers accused them of lying, saying, “It is what it is. If you’re honest, it will make it easy.”
According to the police timeline, the stolen car was found earlier that day, and four suspects fled the scene. Three were quickly caught, leaving one female suspect still at large. Police dashcam footage showed the remaining suspect wearing an outfit similar to the girl’s.
When officers spotted her walking, they detained her and asked questions. They also showed her a photo from the dashcam footage, insisting she looked like the suspect.
The girl cried while being questioned, and her friends refused to leave her side despite police telling them to go. After a FaceTime call with another deputy who reviewed the dashcam footage, it became clear the girl wasn’t the suspect.
Differences in hair length, complexion, and clothing details confirmed it was a mistake. The girl was released seven minutes later, and officers apologized, saying, “I’m sorry about it, but you matched the description pretty clearly.”
The girl’s mother, who chose to stay anonymous, later spoke with local news and said she didn’t accept the sheriff’s apology. She added that her daughter no longer feels safe walking to school, something she used to enjoy.
The sheriff’s office defended their actions, saying handcuffing juveniles is a common practice to keep situations under control.
However, they acknowledged the incident and said they would change their policy to ensure parents are notified whenever a child is detained, even briefly.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office described their meeting with the girl’s mother as “productive” and reiterated their commitment to preventing similar situations in the future.
