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Two 13-year-old boys were arrested Thursday night after driving a stolen van in and out of Beltline traffic, the van stopped by police on the Southwest Side and the boys taken into custody at gunpoint.

The boys, one from Madison the other from Verona, were taken to the Juvenile Reception Center to face tentative charges of auto theft, Madison police said.

The incident started when the 911 Center started getting calls about a van weaving in and out of traffic while going at various speeds on the Beltline.

Officers spotted the van, stolen from Dodgeville, on South Gammon Road.

"When it stopped for a moment, waiting to make a turn, officers took advantage of the opportunity by positioning a squad car directly in front of the van," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. "The officers quickly got out of the squad car and ordered the two occupants out at gunpoint."

The Dodgeville Police Department was notified of the van recovery, and the owner came to Madison to get her van, which now smelled strongly of smoked marijuana.

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