STILLWATER — A 10-year-old Stillwater boy who led police on a chase in his parents’ minivan says he was headed to the store to buy Cheerios.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Tuesday  that a police officer spotted the boy driving the van around 9:30 p.m. Sunday and knew immediately he was either 10 or 11 years old.

The boy fled when the officer activated his emergency lights, leading police on a chase that reached speeds of 50 mph. At one point he drove through an intersection and a residential yard in reverse, narrowly missing a tree. Police eventually blocked his path, ending the chase. No one was hurt.

The boy told police he was headed to Target or a downtown Stillwater co-op to buy Cheerios for breakfast. His parents told police they were sleeping and had no idea he had taken their van.