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

[HLAC]

I'd meet with the parents, see if they take this seriously and to be sure the guys were really going to fix the mailboxes and replace the 'fridge up the street.

If so, I'd would hate to see an 18 year old carry a felony conviction for the rest of his life for one night of vandalism.



.......and please do not go out at 3am without a weapon and a cell phone.

 

[Jerseycoop]

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X2 I think they just never got caught before!

 

[darkmatter]

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Not meaning to hijack this thread, but I had a vandalism problem a few years ago of "disreputable" type neighbors running their ATVs thru my woods and tearing up the place. I strongly suspected from talking to them that confrontation or reporting to authorities would result in further negative consequences to me. So I used a machete to harvest clusters of locust thorns and scattered them in the woods where they had been trespassing---sure enough, the cost and time repairing tire punctures persuaded them to trespass elsewhere. (and the locust clusters would not appear to be manmade caltrops) Those neighbors are gone now---illicit recreational pharmaceutical use will do that in time.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

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If one needs to carry a weapon to go to the mail boxes then why should destructive vandalism not be considered a danger and the perpetrators be let off leniently?

 

[bt03]

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If my 18 y/o did that? Yes. Sorry, I hope I've taught him right from wrong enough by now. If he's so stupid as to not have taken that into his brain, I feel he needs the punishment that he earned by being a stupid idiot. My kids have been taught since the get go that mail is federal and they are NOT to open anyone else's mail or do damage to it or the box. My 3 y/o knows this. If my 18 y/o doesn't, well, sorry, I couldn't teach it to him for whatever reason, he's old enough to be considered an adult, he gets treated like one.

Sorry Spook I agree with Algebra. I have taught my child right from wrong and if she still chooses to do wrong, especially if she was 18 then that is not anyone's fault but her own. I will still love her and would let her know that I love her but she has to face what she did. I wouldn't want her to be let off easy because then she will learn that someone's kindness will get you off and you can do bad whenever you want, just make sure you do it to good people.

 

[Boyd]

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spook, maybe I am a bad parent but I would have insisted the kids learn their lesson. If my kids did something like that then they deserve whatever punishment they get.

 

[welsummerchicks]

I would go for the felony charges for all of them.

It's a rather minor felony, and I don't think they'll get any jail or detention time, I think they'll get probation, but it will scare them.

And if they behave themselves for a while, they can get their record expunged (the crime will be removed from their record).

It isn't really about damaging mailboxes.

These kids ganged up, and they egged each other on to do some really serious violence.

But I would urge you to NEVER do what you did again. Don't get so close. Quite often, you can describe the vehicle and in a small town they can take it from there.

 

[karlamaria]

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I have taught my kids, you do the crime you do the time. I'm not ever going to condone this behavior and if my kid did it he is going to do the time. Sorry but if you grow them right, they will not do it. And I do not care if it's even a group mentality a smart kid will say oh heck no. I did as a kid and then I stayed away from those out to harm and do evil. This was evil and to wash it away is sad . Maybe just maybe my kids knew mom would not bail anyone and they would sit until morning there in the jail , maybe they knew things would not be put under the carpet and maybe they were wise with this knowledge and grew up knowing right from wrong? I think so. Don't do the crime and you will not do the time, teach a child right and you will not have to deal with it right? Im a single mom, i did both mom and dad roles .

 

[ranchhand]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned is revenge on the OP. She lives alone in a rural area and has to consider the possible results of pressing charges. Just one more factor to be considered.

 

[Katy]

I agree that they need to be held accountable for what they did. My boys can both tell you that they were not rescued by mom and dad when they did something stupid in their younger years. They learned their lesson the hard way. Lucklily their sister learned by seeing what happened to them.

But that said I would hate to see them have to carry a felony conviction the rest of their lives because of one stupid night. Should they have known better...of course!....but kids do stupid stuff in a group that they never would on their own....adults do too for that matter. Was it their first time doing something like this? I don't know...but I think they deserve a chance to make amends without the penalty affecting them forever. We are talking mailboxes here.....not first degree murder.

I dare say most people taking a hard unforgiving line would think differently if it was their kids involved.