What is he running away from and running to? If a child thinks he has been taken from someone he loves, it's"war". I know. I didn't steal a car but ran away once too. I took my sisters with me though. Probably why I got caught:')
One article said that he claimed to be afraid of a child molester in the area.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if that was a lie told by the child to get out of the situation. The kid obviously knows how to con people. People want to believe children, especially when it comes to things like that.