Witnessed A Vandalism CLOSE-UP (UPDATE Post# 116)

[karlamaria]

Well let's see, there 18 well two of them any ways, and there saying they have never been in trouble? Oh I do not think so . And letting them off the hook so mom and dad can pay the bill for them to be free is wrong! They need community service, they need to replace them and they need to have charges pressed against them and be in the paper. By there parents paying for new box's and them getting ofvis ridiculous! There a danger if there wielding bats at 3:00 in the morning and what happens if she was spotted? Do we all know if they would not have beaten her? They need to be made to pay for damages and made to put them back up, and made to do community service big time!

 

[Katy]

If they have truely never been in trouble before my choices would be:

Replace the mailboxes and go in person to each mailbox owner and apologize

Community service

A stipulation that if they have anymore brushes with the law in the next five years that charges will be filed on this incident.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Only read the first page. But. Just because these are not "the usual kids" does not mean that these kids have never done any serious mischief before, either. Just that they have not previously been caught. Most of the time there are a number of laws that are broken, and it is very unlikely that it is a simple choise of extremes: just fix it and serious federal felony.

A proper investigation needs to be done, and the kids need to face real repercussions. Your very real fear at the level of violence you witnessed is a testament to what they were capable of.

 

[karlamaria]

The 18 year olds are men, they now have the right to be treated as such and take on responsibility . If it was one male box fine, but several and a fridgerator? come on, this is not a small thing, it's important to raise a child to know the right things to do, not hide behind a parent when the child ( now man) has done wrong. The 14 year old is just as old and has reasoning to not do wrong . By letting a crime go unpunished your saying it is ok . I have taught my kids thiat if you do something wrong there is a consequence and my children , now 2 are adults have never harmed anyone or broken anything of someone elses. Yes, kids will be kids, and they do some things we are not proud of, but by destroying other peoples things is not something we should let go. Letting them off speaks volumes about the parent and the future of the child . My opinion!

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
X2, this maybe the first time the boys got caught......

What if the person that witnessed this was someone's Grandmother or Grandfather and it scared them so bad they had a heart attack????? Or, what would have happened if they had seen you? I hate to think of it.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:

Yup. Sometimes a felony record for mail tampering isn't all that bad. My buddy has a felony for lighting off a rocket (fireworks) .. Its interesting conversation when he talks about it in an interview situation (for new job) but other than that.....

I'd press charges. Who knows what they would have done if they had seen you L J?

 

[Carols Clucks]

I would:


Ask that they be charged with something misdemeanor instead, maybe vandalism for the refrigerator.

They buy a NEW refrigerator for the egg couple with some kind of enclosure to protect it from the next truck load of idiots. (a smaller dorm sized should work for eggs)

Replace your mailboxes and add some rock/planting border and maintain it for a set time.



Then they did not "get away with it" but yet do not become felons and unable to get in to colleges or the career path they might have been thinking. Groups of kids will do things that individually they would have never done. But one of them got the rest to get in that truck!

The Egg couple gets something they need (a better refrigerator and more secure surround)

You get new mailboxes, new stands and a nice landscaped spot.

 

[herfrds]

I would press charges. The 3 18 year olds are now considered adults and should know better.
Get it on their records.

If they are just let off with a wrist slap who knows what they will do next time they feel the urge to bash something with a bat or 2x4

 

[Amyable]

Quote:
I agree with this. I think they should have to stand before a judge and be ordered to do community service, in addition to replacing everything they destroyed and apologizing to the property owners. If they really have not been in trouble before, being in a courtroom will scare the tar out of them.

You should ask for a nice, expensive new mailbox, too.

 

[hondo58]

They should repair EVERY damaged mailbox in town, not just the ones that they got caught vandalizing. Even the ones that are just old and beat up from time. Make it a town of beautiful mailboxes unlike any other in the country. Then they need some community service so everyone knows what they did and this is the repercussion. If the 18 y/o have nothing better to do then a stint in our armed forces could do them some good when they are finished beautifying their town.