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A 9-year-old "chronic runaway" wanted to live in Dallas with his grandfather so badly that he finagled a boarding pass from Southwest Airlines in Seattle and escaped on a flight Tuesday, officials said.

Only problem was the flight was to San Antonio, not Dallas, and that's where he got caught.

Semaj Booker made a connection in Phoenix and landed in the Alamo City, only to have his plan foiled when he tried to board a final flight to Dallas Love Field.

It all occurred days after his stealing a neighbor's car and leading Lakewood, Wash., police on a 90-mph freeway chase. The high-speed pursuit ended when Semaj blew out the engine and the car came to a stop after slowly bumping into a tree just off the freeway, said Lt. David Guttu, a spokesman for the Lakewood Police Department.

After being arrested, police took the boy back home to his mother, Sakinah Booker, in Lakewood around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Guttu said.

But police believe that he sneaked out again the next morning. Booker filed a missing persons report by 7:30 a.m. Monday, Guttu said.

Early Tuesday, Semaj somehow arrived at Seattle-Tacoma Airport, about 50 miles north of his home in Lakewood, Guttu said.

Police don't know whether he got a ride or stole a car to get to the airport, but he has a history of stealing cars, Guttu said.

When Semaj showed up at the ticket counter for Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, he lied about his age, saying he was 12 years old, Southwest said in a prepared statement.

He told a ticket agent that his mom was already inside the boarding area, Southwest said.

"The young man's information matched a paid, ticketless reservation for the flight," the airline said. "Based on the information he gave us, he was issued a boarding pass. That is the boarding pass he used to board the flight."

Because of his assumed age, he was not listed as an unaccompanied minor.

That means he could pass through security and onto the plane without an adult to verify his identity. Southwest said its policy for unaccompanied minors only covers children up to age 11.

Southwest officials declined to say whether Semaj's name was on the reservation he used to get a boarding pass, citing passenger confidentiality.

Semaj probably was able to stay on the plane during its layover in Phoenix, although Southwest officials would not confirm that. The airline only said the flight would stop in Phoenix and continue to San Antonio.

Once in San Antonio, Semaj tried to board a flight to Dallas, Southwest said, "but he did not have information that matched a reservation." The airline declined to elaborate.

Semaj couldn't give airline officials any contact information for where he was going, according to the statement.

That's when Southwest called San Antonio police to find a legal guardian.

After discovering his name on the missing persons national database, San Antonio police called authorities in Lakewood.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Semaj was still being held by San Antonio police, said Mapplelean Calico, who lives in Dallas and said in an interview that she is the boy's great aunt.

About six or seven years ago, Semaj and his mom lived with Calico and her husband for a few months, Calico said. But Semaj and his mom have called other places home, including a Salvation Army shelter in Dallas, Calico said.

"It's frustrating -- real frustrating," she said. "Sakinah is kind of like a nomad. She moves around quite a bit."

Sakinah Booker could not be reached Tuesday. In an interview with The Associated Press, she said Semaj wanted to be with his grandfather. She also said she believed that Semaj learned how to drive by playing video games.

Semaj Booker loves his grandfather, Charles Booker, and wanted to live with him, Calico said. Semaj and his mother lived with Charles Booker as recently as a year ago.

"Right now, if he's a kid, he's only saying 'What's going to make me happy,'" Calico said. "So, that's making him happy. He's got to do what he's got to do to be with his grandpa."

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Police don't know whether he got a ride or stole a car to get to the airport, but he has a history of stealing cars, Guttu said.

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Police don't know whether he got a ride or stole a car to get to the airport, but he has a history of stealing cars, Guttu said.

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Homeland Security is baffled...

I feel safe.

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