when i was 15, i left home. i wasn't legal, so when i had a situation where my over-18 friends might get in trouble, i took off to keep them from ending up with some horrible charges.

cobra might have been up to no good - they surely haven't handled the situation very well - but the model was more than old enough to understand the possible consequences to others of what he was doing. 17 is old enough to be responsible for your actions, even if the law doesn't always agree.