was it worth it?

Yesterday evening the neighbor(Damion, hes 8) came to the door and told Teresa, that 3 kids stole the "for sale" sign from in front of our house. Teresa and Devin went outside. She yelled at the kids , and asked them to bring it back, instead they dropped it and ran off, Devin tried to follow them. During all this, I called the Waynesboro PD, and then took the truck to get Devin and track down the teens. I caught up wih them less than 3 blocks away. I asked why they had stolen our sign, and the oldest(or tallest) one replied, "I didnt steal $h*t". When I explained that the neighbor saw them do it, and that Teresa had asked them to bring the sign back, he took whatever was in his hands back as if to swing and my truck, and said "ya wanna do sumthin, huh, ya wanna do sumthin". I wanted too, but I knew he was under age...I said yes, Im gonna do something, I already called Waynesboro PD. And I said I would just have to call them again. He said "You better call'em then. I guess he thought I was bluffing, because I hit redial on the Cell, and soon was telling the officer I had found the 3 youths. At that point they started to walk away. The officer said everyone was tied up and the would get someone out to me asap. As I slowly drove behind them, Devin Told me his name Lorenzo Lamar, I found out later, the younger Brother Mark(who actually took the sign), and thier sister, completed the trio. As they approached the next developement(Cold Springs Estates for those local to 17268) they split and went 3 different ways. I followed the one for whom I had the name a little longer then caught up to him, and said "i'll be see ya around Lorenzo". I think he was a little shocked I knew his name, and I drove back to meet the PD. The police, said short of Harrasment their was not much they could charge him with. I agreed to go ahead and file. The police also said that these teens are their main suspects in a series of tire slashings from the Cold Springs Estate area. But no one has caught them in the act.
I said, "well, if mine get slashed tonight you'll know who did it". The officer said she would present it to the District Justice, but it was his call if he wanted to proceed.
Now for the reason for this LONG Post.
At 10:20 last night my neighbors and I were all running outside to see what exploded. My neighbors saw 2 teens all in black running down the street, another neighbor saw 2 teens running up the street. I saw my Suburban setting about 6 inches lower to the ground. It seems, 4 16" tires make a loud noise when simultaneously knifed at the same time.
Another call to the PD, and they were on the scene in minutes, 2 cruisers canvassed the nieghborhood, with less than favorable resulsts. No one to be found, and ofcourse nothing they could do. Its kinda hard to Id someone in the dark, but they agreed it seemed more than a coincidence.
The one neighbor just moved into her apartment 2 weeks ago, she saw the police and I when I called about the 55 being keyed, and now my tires slashed, to say she wishes she would have picked a different location is an understatement. Teresa and I are also wishing we'd have picked a diffrent location.
So was it worth it to do the right thing?
$800 in tires and no justice, now I can see why so many people turn thier heads, for fear of retaliation..........
What has happened to our youths? I know they say what comes around goes around, but what the heck did I do in my past to deserve this?
I never keyed a car or slashed tires.....well thanks for letting me vent!

 

We used to steal for sale signs and stick them in other peoples yards all the time. I guess no real harm though as the new houses for sale knew where the sign actually belonged.

 

I have these alley dwellers that screw with stuff...they are tweekers and the kids are trash plain and simple. Well around the 4th last year I had it with them. They were lighting fire works off on my wooden fence. The wife told them to knock it off...the two kids said F off. I was walking around the house when I heard that. I snapped. I grabbed the aluminum baseball bat and went into the alley. They ran into there backyard. I went into the backyard where I found them and two adults...the adults just looked down with the wasn't me look. I cornered the kids and proceded to tell them with a bat in the face if I see them on my property again I would lite them up with the bat. I guess me with morning hair, no shirt with a ton of tattoos...and a bat...I put the fear into them as now they do not mess with the stuff in our neighborhood.

They have shot out windows in a empty house across the alley, they have spray painted fences, they have gone around with BB guns shooting whatever was in the alley, they have dumped trashcans...there is a group of them from 15-19. Well since my explosion and me having some cop friends cruise the alley we have not heard a peep from them.

I am not saying whack them with a bat...worked in my situation but could cause more problems in other situations. I would ask the cops/sherriffs/highway patrol to step it up in the area at night time.

that and buy the brightest night lights you can. In my alley when the sun sets the light on my shop makes the alley so fricken bright! And I have motion sensor in the front yard. you walk down the sidewalk and it lights up to spot lights. Front and Back are fluorescent lights so it does not cost much either.

 

FOR SALE signs make good floor pans......Sorry about the tires..Having been a cop before I know how the cop feels. He knows your thinking why don't they do something..But the SUE YOU laws cover the bad guys before we get justice. You will get your justice, it may be slow but it will come.

 

Remember... as bad as I hate to say it... you would be just as hard to ID in the dark as well....

 

Sounds like Lorenzo already has one foot in prison. It turned sour the minute you left your yard to go after them. It sucks I know but that's the world we live in now, they can do pretty much what they want because they know you can't legally touch them and the police don't have time. One thing you do have on your side from the sounds of it is numbers. Sounds like Lorenzo and his posse have PO'd more than a few people. If you all got together I would think it would be easy to make it "uncomfortable" for Lorenzo and his siblings without doing anything illegal. I had a similar run in a few years ago with 3 little hoodlums in a car. Next time I saw the ringleader out in public I just stared at him, like a starving dog staring at a T-bone he can't quite reach. He sneered and laughed at me at first but I held my expression and just kept staring. Then he quit laughing and started getting nervous. Within 15 minutes I had him looking over his shoulder. That's when I gave him a smile like I knew something he didn't. It also helped that I used to run with his girlfriend's stepdad back in my wilder days and he told him I had a "bit" of a temper. From that point on he was the model citizen when he was in our end of town. The "silent" treatment can work, come up with a signal so everytime they come down your street you all come to your windows or out front and just stare as they go by with no one saying a word. Let them know they're being watched every second, every step. Maybe give them a slight smile and a nod. When you see them elsewhere and they see you hit 'em with the smile like you know something they don't. And if that doesn't work tie 'em to the bumper and drag 'em.

 

You poked at a hornet's nest. Sometimes you have to pick and choose your battles wisely.
My neighborhood has a bunch of kids approaching the punk age. I just be nice to them and hope for the best.

 

First thing I'd do I get any of your cars off the street, and plant a number of floodlights around your property with motion sensors. Second thing I would do is to hire a lawyer to draft a warning letter to the kids' parents...doesn't mean you're going to do anything legal yet, but a lawyer's letterhead gets attention. The parents need to crack down on these kids before they meet the working end of a 4-10.
If the vandalism continues, get one of those cameras that hunters place on a trail and set a trap to photograph whoever it is that's messing with you. You gotta fight back...I'll be damned if anyone, punk or adult, is going to make me move my home.

Patrick

 

some day little Lorenzo will have a car..just wait.


Paybacks are a Bitch


You Know!

 

Yeah you catch 'em and you beat his ass. Make sure he knows why hes getting his ass beat, and make sure he knows if your shit gets messed with again by anyone you'll be finding him for a repeat performance. Then when he goes to the cops (ha he will never go to the cops if he has done all you've said). Tell the cops, "Seriously? Why would I attack a minor? Thats just asking for trouble. Sounds like he got his ass kicked and wants some retaliation on me." Guarantee that works. Those cops want to catch those kids, their handa are just kinda tied on it.

15-18 year olds know right from wrong, there is no excuse for that. If it were capital murder they'd stand as adults, so treat 'em like one. Beat his ass and put him in his place. Obviously he's never had someone in his life to keep him in check.

 

I got to say it, the problem isn't with the kids ,it's with the parents.

A real parent ,once they are aware of the dirty deed ,should have taken care of the problem right then. My dad damn sure would of and we all knew that.

 

I hate to say it, but THEY have way more rights than you do and they know it. Although they didn't slash my tires, I had similar issues in my last neighborhood. The police don't have the time to deal with this stuff and even if they did arrest them, they'd walk anyway.

Since the post started with your "For Sale" sign being stolen, you're on the right track. Ultimately I moved since I've got better things to worry about than shitty neighors and punks. I tried the legal route - Nothing. I tried talking to their parents - worse trash than the kids - Nothing.

I'd try polishing my shotgun on the front porch when you know they're around. The only thing that worked for me; they have to think you're completely fucking nuts and would take the law into your own hands. That way they can't hide behind the law. In meantime, invest in a really good slingshot and a bag of marbles. Practice often. Good luck.

 

I live in a neighborhood full of these little punk teenagers, they are constantly walking up and down the streets late at night yelling, last week some kids went around and paintballed every house in my block, last summer some kid stole the speakers out of my car, I hate everyone of these kids and I am only 28 so I am pretty close to some of there ages. If I were you(and I love vengeance) I would find out where they live since you have there names and go slash there tires or throw a burning bottle of flammable liquid at there house. Did I mention I REALLY hate these little fuckers?

 

I keep repeating it and it's getting a little old,, but the reason this crap is happening is the deterioration of our society. Liberal thinking and practice brings this sort of thing and until we get back to our old set of values it will continueto get worse. You can not discipline your own kids today without being in fear of the law. Teachers can not keep order in the classroom without fear of lawsuits or worse being physically attacked. Watch the news, it's happening all over.
Kids need to be taught respect while they are young or they will NEVER have any respect for anything as adults.
I don't want to get off on a tangent here but when I grew up I addressed adults as mame and sir and with my dad being a military officer there was hell to pay if you didn't. Even today at age 63 I still address those in authority as sir, it'a lifelong habit and it gets you respect in return.
This is my favorite soapbox, I'll climb down now.

Frank

 

Hey Fab 32 im with you all the way on this one. and i think we need to find creative ways around the fact that the law enforcement has its hands tied too. Im a firm believer in what comes around goes around..its High time for a Go Around. and remember (and the law needs to remember) we are their boss..we all pay their salary all the way to the top..Its time for the top to feel the heat.

 

How is this related to a traditional hot rod or custom?

JH

 

I Think That Maybe The Three Boy Need Something In There Life , So They Will Not Be So Boad , Maybe You Could Take Them Under Your Wing And Help Them Get Interested In Working On Cars , I Have Two Bad Ass Boys Here And I Got Them To Help Me In The Garage Working On My Car And They Seem To Have Changed , Now One Is Talking About Getting A Job So He Can Buy Him A Project , As For The Other I Am Not Sure I Can Help.

 

I believe I'd have a conversation with the father and/or mother and ask that they pay for the damage. I would also imply that if they did not or if they did not control their kid, then additional "problems" would follow and they would find house troubles of their own.

You did the right thing ( a bit over the top imo for a sign) so continue to do the right thing. And, there are times when the "law" can't do anything and then there is vigilante justice.

If you let it go and take the loss, it will continue and/or escalate because they got the better of you and will be back for more. He's BMOC now.

Our society is degrading because people keep "taking it" because the "law" won't do anything. This enpowers the evil ones.

If you don't want to get involved with the above, get a good camera system and set the criminals up with a juicy target. Parents will then have to pay.

 

Say that you positively id'd them next time, even if you didn't. Chances are even if they didn't commit the next crime that they are guilty of something and deserve to be punished.

I had a problem with a little punk in the neighbourhood a few years back. He was about 17 and when I asked him to quit cutting across my yard, he smiled and gave me the finger. I being just a few years older, and with a bit of a temper, chased after him and put him to the ground. While on the ground, I reared back and put a nice deep dent into the ground next to his head. Told him the next time he was disrespectful to anybody in the neighbourhood, he wouldn't be so lucky. He stopped walking past my house.

 

I have a nice wrist rocket slingshot and use marbles...Lornezo,s daddy would lose his windows.

 

Be careful, your tools may end up in the pawn shop.

 

The only problem i see with screwing back with the kid is this, you go to work and are gone for over 8 hours a day..when he's out of school (for the summer) hes got all day to fuck with your stuff while your gone...maybe find out if there are a few kids that want him out of their hair?...Ice cream and a few dollars can pay for protection of your place..and maybe a good ass beating too while their at it.

 

Move, drama queen.

 

It's always worth it to stand up for what is right.
GET A DOG...A B I G dog.
As has been stated earlier, just find little Lorenzo alone......
VonRigg has the idea....I am sure a punk like Lorenzo has a waiting list of people that want to whip his ass..find them.
Put his picture up on Gay Pride and AIDS Awareness posters....
Lots of ideas.

 

i say an ass beating is in order, think about it, he aint gonna go to the cops, theyre already lookin' for him. old school justice, fuckit. werks in my hood.

 

and if he said you kicked his ass..its still your word against his..

Nads why should he move? .. dont duck and run...stand up for what you own.

 

a 55 was key'd! a 55!

 

what a bunch of bullshit. every damn time something like this comes up somebody has to blame all of society's ills on "liberal thinking". what a lame cop out from someone who must belong to the so called "party of personal responsibility". hold these kids responsible for their actions.

 

This post has nothing to do with traditional hot rodding, the last post loc8or did was about getting his car keyed. It's a "woe is me post" all over again, I live in a nice neighborhood but we have a peeping tom, I chased his ass out my yard, and there's a ton more to the story but I don't think it's something I need to tell you about.....but i just did, I guess.

Whatever, loc8or comes across as a pain the ass IMHO.

 

Sign him up for the Converse dental plan by Dr. Chuck Taylor.
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