Stop, Thief!
From Sunday Scribblings, Prompt #17 is "thief".
I caught a thief in 1991. I was in college - about to graduate. I was home (alone) at my apartment, and I heard glass breaking. I looked out my bedroom window just in time to see feet going through the window at my friends' apartment next door. I called their phone. Answering machine. I called again - nothing. So, I called 911. A few minutes later, cops arrived with guns drawn. I was on the phone with the dispatcher and they were radio-ing what I said to the police officers. It was pretty exciting. I knew the complete layout of the apartment - as well as the name of the doberman (Hershey) who lived there. They went in - but couldn't find anyone. Since I was glued to the window, I knew the person didn't come out of the window he went in. Nor out the front door - which I could see. There was no back door. The window on the "blind" side of the apartment was shut and locked. Someone was in hiding.
Turns out, he was behind the washing machine. He had gotten the answering machine (why it didn't pick up the 2nd time I called), the VCR (this WAS 1991, and before DVD), a stereo, and some other electronics in a garbage bag. He had managed to lock the doberman in the bedroom. But, the police arrived quickly, so he was "caught". To my shock, the kid was ELEVEN years old. Lived a few streets over. His grandmother sent him out to steal stuff. It was his FIFTEENTH arrest. Nice.
His court date was going to be on what just happened to be my first day of work at a new job in a new town. I postponed my start date and showed up to court. I was never called. I guess they pleaded him down, or something. I never did find out. I moved, and my friends moved. Never heard another thing about that kid. He's probably in a jail or dead. Poor little boy didn't really stand a chance. When his own guardian sent him out to steal.
At least he didn't get anything from my friends. And I got him off the streets, at least for a little while.
I caught a thief in 1991. I was in college - about to graduate. I was home (alone) at my apartment, and I heard glass breaking. I looked out my bedroom window just in time to see feet going through the window at my friends' apartment next door. I called their phone. Answering machine. I called again - nothing. So, I called 911. A few minutes later, cops arrived with guns drawn. I was on the phone with the dispatcher and they were radio-ing what I said to the police officers. It was pretty exciting. I knew the complete layout of the apartment - as well as the name of the doberman (Hershey) who lived there. They went in - but couldn't find anyone. Since I was glued to the window, I knew the person didn't come out of the window he went in. Nor out the front door - which I could see. There was no back door. The window on the "blind" side of the apartment was shut and locked. Someone was in hiding.
Turns out, he was behind the washing machine. He had gotten the answering machine (why it didn't pick up the 2nd time I called), the VCR (this WAS 1991, and before DVD), a stereo, and some other electronics in a garbage bag. He had managed to lock the doberman in the bedroom. But, the police arrived quickly, so he was "caught". To my shock, the kid was ELEVEN years old. Lived a few streets over. His grandmother sent him out to steal stuff. It was his FIFTEENTH arrest. Nice.
His court date was going to be on what just happened to be my first day of work at a new job in a new town. I postponed my start date and showed up to court. I was never called. I guess they pleaded him down, or something. I never did find out. I moved, and my friends moved. Never heard another thing about that kid. He's probably in a jail or dead. Poor little boy didn't really stand a chance. When his own guardian sent him out to steal.
At least he didn't get anything from my friends. And I got him off the streets, at least for a little while.
posted by Kay at
8:46 PM
10 Comments:
What a story! It is really shocking that such a young child would be out stealing. Also surprising that the police turned up so quick, my own experience of calling the police in a similar experince, was that they took forever to turn up.
By
Kamsin, at 7/22/2006 3:51 AM
An eleven year old? Dang, that is sad. Definately an interesting story though!
By
Jessie, at 7/22/2006 7:42 AM
I never knew that story..... you hero, you!
By
ShannonK, at 7/22/2006 7:54 AM
sad story, but kind of exciting...thanks for sharing!
By
MiandMiksmom, at 7/22/2006 10:23 AM
Wow! Eleven years old and already a thief! Not good. But a great story, nevertheless.
By
paris parfait, at 7/22/2006 12:14 PM
Wow...interesting story. Poor kid--you are right. He didn't stand a chance. It must have been a scary moment when you caught the thief.
By
Anonymous, at 7/22/2006 12:54 PM
Oh my god, that was unexpected. Eleven years old!!!! What must have driven his grandmother to such a thing.
By
Verity, at 7/24/2006 2:04 PM
unfortunately nothing probably happened to him at all at the time. By now he is probably in Jail like you said. That his Granny was sending him out to do this is flat out pitiful. I hope(okay no I don't really) she was/is good at dodging Karma is all I can say.
By
briliantdonkey, at 7/24/2006 11:21 PM
Good for you sticking up for your friends and neighbors! I like how you point out that the answering machine and VCR were the hi-tech of those days ... a little grin in the otherwise sad story of this little boy.
By
HoBess, at 7/25/2006 10:34 AM
Wow! What a great story. You got my pulse going!!!
By
Anonymous, at 7/26/2006 1:18 AM
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