Kids crash grandma's car into house

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) - Two kids deserve to get coal this Christmas after swiping their grandmother's car while she was unloading presents and then crashing it into a neighbor's house.

It happened just after 1 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Lead and 14th SW.

Police say the 13-year-old girl and 11-year-old boy took their grandma's car on a joy ride, then crashed it through a garage and ran away. Grandma, Loretta Lujan, initially thought a Christmas grinch stole her car.

"I was taking everything out of the truck and I came back out and the truck was gone," said Lujan. "Then I hear a bang and I ran out here and this is what I found," she explained as she pointed out the damage.

Police believe the 13-year-old was driving, for some reason she crashed through a cinder block wall and then plowed into a stucco garage. The man renting the damaged home said his red truck inside that garage was the only thing stopping the girl from crashing into his bedroom.

As police snapped evidence pictures and searched for clues, trying to find the suspects, firefighters stabilized the building and towed the totaled care away.

Lujan said she only left the keys in the ignition for a moment. "I'm in shock," she exclaimed.

About an hour after the crash, we're told the kids called another relative and told that person they had crashed grandma's car. They sent the kids back to the badly damaged home where police and grandma were waiting.

Lujan visibly upset, now for more than one reason, had this advice to share.

"Don't ever leave you keys in the car," she said.

The kids were checked out by paramedics at the scene and are fine. It's still unclear why they took the car in the first place, and it's also unclear if they will face any charges.