MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A teenager failed to show up for a scheduled court hearing Wednesday and his mother admitted she hadn’t heard from the teen in several weeks. The 13-year-old was staying in a hotel after being released from juvenile detention, but missing after stealing a car from her care provider last month, according to court records.

The case highlights the lack of resources available to treat young offenders in Minnesota, who often nowhere to go.

Court hearing

Judge Todd Fellman said he was “very, very concerned” about the safety and well-being of a runaway child with special needs. He ordered “active efforts” to find the boy, which included a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Stolen car

The boy was staying at Staybridge Suites in Bloomington where he was receiving care from respite providers. According to police, one of these providers left his car keys on the counter while he went to the bathroom. The child took the keys and left in a Toyota Highlander.

The car was later found in Minneapolis, but the boy has not been seen since.

In a statement, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said it was prohibited from commenting due to the child’s age.

“As we have previously stated, our community is facing an urgent crisis stemming from the lack of appropriate resources to meet the complex needs of our most vulnerable young people.”

Nowhere to go

The boy was staying at the hotel under electronic monitoring because he is incompetent due to his age.

Children deemed incompetent cannot be held in detention for more than 24 hours.

FOX 9 has done numerous reports on the emerging crisis involving children in trouble in the juvenile justice system.

Earlier this year, a 12-year-old boy was also transferred to a respite hotel for treatment. A judge ordered his release after the boy was illegally detained for weeks in juvenile detention. Hennepin County has repeatedly attempted to place the boy in a psychiatric residential treatment center (PRTF), but children are routinely denied admission because there are only four such treatment centers in Minnesota and they often lack staff and other resources.

County-Funded Treatment Center

In an effort to address the crisis locally, Hennepin County recently allocated $22 million for a youth behavioral health crisis stabilization center in south Minneapolis.

The county will spend $15 million to convert a county treatment center to house troubled youth in a secure setting outside of juvenile detention. An additional $7 million will be dedicated to ongoing care and programs. The project is expected to add up to 15 beds for children in need.