I got robbed!

[styrafoam]

The kid was dumb enough not to put two and two together knowing he took the bike that day and lie to his mom and the police. He wasn't sorry, his mom probably only cares about the whole thing because the she will be on the hook if he is fined, and the court won't do anything to someone who stole an ancient bicycle which was returned in better shape than it was stolen in.

I won't say that every kid steals, but every kid probably has a lesson that deals with the law. The ones who learn something from it are probably better for having been given the chance. The hopeless one just blame everyone else for their poor decisions. Who knows which track this kid is on.

I pretty much agree with the people saying turn the other cheek. Your property wasn't damaged and you didn't suffer for being without it. The cops have his name and you gave him the benefit of the doubt this one time.

I get standing up for the principle of it, but some battles are just not worth fighting when the other side has nothing to lose.

This is the other half of the situation too. I agree with standing up for yourself, but a bike that would go for $10 at a yard sale may not be something to start a feud with the neighbors over. There probably won't be a retiree staring out their window at 3:00 am if this ever comes back around.

Lots of non reality in this thread.

It actually is probably more of cautious realism. Once you make a stupid person hate you life can be miserable, and a lot more expensive.

 

[mikeymikec]

Lucky you are going to jail and not the morgue I say.

It actually is probably more of cautious realism. Once you make a stupid person hate you life can be miserable, and a lot more expensive.

Good point. It could set the ball rolling on a long-term dispute/ill-feeling between neighbours.

---

As for the situation described in the OP, I guess my reaction as the victim would depend on how I saw the thief. When I was a kid, there was a family who lived around the corner from me, and I'm pretty sure that they would steal anything that wasn't bolted down. I'd file charges against them.

On the other hand, someone might impulsively steal something out of envy, they haven't really thought it through and were stupid enough to think that they would get away with it. If I felt that the situation could be resolved in them thinking that it was a stupid thing to do and hopefully they won't do anything like that again, I'd probably let them off the hook.

Some people might be encouraged as a result of being let off the hook. Others might see it as a chance to avoid taking the risk in future without any 'black mark' on them. Some people might continue such behaviour after charges have been filed because that's the way they're used to doing things. Some people might believe that people are dicks for pressing charges for something so minor that could have been resolved without pressing charges, so they have no sympathy for their victims in future and continue to be a criminal. Some people might need someone to take a firm line and press charges in order to see the error of their ways (a stiff punishment to really bring it home to them).

People are people, with infinite variations.

 

[Strk]

I see no problem with a thief getting in trouble.

 

[gorcorps]

I see vandalism in your future, but I can't blame you for going through with this.

 

[Doppel]

I understand your desire to punish the "kid", but if the whole family is degenerates (sounds like it if the mom was lying to the sheriff), then don't they know where you live?

I mean, they can really make your life miserable if they want to. I'm not saying that I wouldn't have done the same thing, but did you consider the "revenge costs" associated with pressing charges?

No they can't.

One word:dropcam.

I would have pressed charges too. If is his his first offense he will get off easy at his age regardless of what the felony is but it may teach him something. If he has done it before he needs the book thrown at him.

 

[edro]

17yo? Yes, send him to jail.
If it was a 10yo, no, I would simply take the bike back.

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

Have sex with his mother. Demand that he refer to you as dad from now on.

 

[Murloc]

not a robbery.

It was a simple theft of an unlocked bike.
Anyway now that family and their other problem children hate you and might harass you, not sure it's a good deal, the police can't simply send kids to jail for smearing dog shit on your door.

Here a < 18 years old would never end up in prison even if they deserve it, there are too many conditional sentences and our justice system often fails to protect society from recidive criminals, especially if they're 14 years old gypsies (usually girls) residing abroad, there's nothing they can do against those.
So yeah, I would definitely press charges.
In your case, I'm not so sure. If it just gets some social work and stuff, okay then.

 

[CPA]

At first I thought you went too far (IMO) with pressing charges, but on second thought, I guess I agree with you.

Same here until I read the kid was 17. If it was a 10/12 year-old I may have accepted the apology and hoped it scared him enough to not do it again. A 17 year old? Hell, no, that kid should be mature enough to know the difference.

Also, I would not have posted "could careless" twice. Instead, I would have posted "I couldn't care less".

 

[CPA]

not a robbery.

It was a simple theft of an unlocked bike.
Anyway now that family and their other problem children hate you and might harass you, not sure it's a good deal, the police can't simply send kids to jail for smearing dog shit on your door.

Here a < 18 years old would never end up in prison even if they deserve it, there are too many conditional sentences and our justice system often fails to protect society from recidive criminals, especially if they're 14 years old gypsies (usually girls) residing abroad, there's nothing they can do against those.
So yeah, I would definitely press charges.
In your case, I'm not so sure. If it just gets some social work and stuff, okay then.

That's complete horse manure. It's a burglary. The people were at home, someone entered their property and took something. That's burglary.

Also, I don't get the mentality of not doing something because of being scared of the retaliation. F That. Retaliate and the cops will be on your asses again.

 

[Jeffg010]

Sounds like you were acting like quite the dick about something you didn't even care about. Jail time doesn't fix people, it doesn't fix the situation, it doesn't make the world a better place. Forgiveness and mercy, however, is much more likely to make an impact on the kid's life. Even if it doesn't hit home right away, later in his life he'll remember. You had an opportunity to affect another person's life, and chose to make it worse. You might tell yourself that they made that choice, but that's not true. You are responsible for your own actions too. Think about it.

Always some jackoff defending criminals. :thumbsdown:

 

[CPA]

"2nd degree felony as a burglary with occupation of home"

A defense attorney would rip this to shreds. Some kid(s) went up to your wide open carport when you weren't around and took your bike. They could argue they had no clue you were home, etc. etc.

technically it COULD be burg. 2nd per statute, but in reality no way.

Misdemeanor stealing at best is what the prosecutor could charge.


Only press charges if you for sure will man up and show up in court to see justice done. If you just wanted him arrested for the scare factor, you wasted alot of resources.

Do what you want to do, kid shouldn't have stole your bike! It's not like you left it near the trash cans on the street.


And also, you weren't robbed Breaking into a home is burglary. Stealing something is theft. Taking something from your person is robbery.

LOL, there is no stipulation that the thief must have known that the property owners were on site. C'mon.

 

[olds]

I think people that steal should be put to death. I hate thieves.

 

[DrunkenSano]

Sounds like you were acting like quite the dick about something you didn't even care about. Jail time doesn't fix people, it doesn't fix the situation, it doesn't make the world a better place. Forgiveness and mercy, however, is much more likely to make an impact on the kid's life. Even if it doesn't hit home right away, later in his life he'll remember. You had an opportunity to affect another person's life, and chose to make it worse. You might tell yourself that they made that choice, but that's not true. You are responsible for your own actions too. Think about it.

lol what kind of drugs are you on? Or are you some hardcore religious type. People like you is what is wrong with society these days and why it's going to shit.

 

[Number1]

The bike is more or less worthless to me, it was a Walmart mountain bike from 10+ years ago. It's the fact you came under my roof and took something. Lucky you are going to jail and not the morgue I say.

Typical american response, heartless, shoot first, ask question later, all over a worthless unlocked piece of junk.

Before pressing charges and possibly ruining this kid's life, here is what I would have done

Found out if the kid had prior troubles with the law and prosecute if he did.
If not I would have requested a few hours of manual labor as a restitution, mowing the lawn maybe or whatever I could think of. Maybe get to know the kid and be a good influence while I was at it.

 

[DrunkenSano]

Before pressing charges and possibly ruining this kid's life, here is what I would have done

The kids life was ruined by 1. terrible parenting who didn't teach him that stealing is wrong, 2. terrible decision making on his own behalf by realizing that stealing is wrong.

So many idiots out there blaming the victim. We already have too many entitled scum out there who think it's okay to take what you want when you want. If the law was harsher and more people were punished, people would think twice before committing a crime.

 

[chin311]

Typical american response, heartless, shoot first, ask question later, all over a worthless unlocked piece of junk.

Before pressing charges and possibly ruining this kid's life, here is what I would have done

Found out if the kid had prior troubles with the law and prosecute if he did.
If not I would have requested a few hours of manual labor as a restitution, mowing the lawn maybe or whatever I could think of. Maybe get to know the kid and be a good influence while I was at it.

Heartless? LOL. Yes, that's me, the criminal. I wouldn't stroll up into someone's garage and go through their things/steal and expect nothing to happen.

It's my problem I ruined "his life", bullshit, I didn't choose for him to do what he did. His actions, his consequences.

I'm not here to mentor some delinquent, just live my own damn life and leave me and my family/home alone. Like I am going to spend my time finding out his history before I proceed....You do the crime, be ready for what you get.

 

[DrunkenSano]

Found out if the kid had prior troubles with the law and prosecute if he did.

And the legal system will take that into account. If he pleads guilty and has no priors, chances are he will be released on probation, no jail time. If you think some stranger can help be a 'good influence' to a kid when their own parents can't, you are living in bizarro world.

 

[dbk]

I would've been like, "You want this bike? Mow my lawn for this month and you can have it!"

 

[tynopik]

If not I would have requested a few hours of manual labor as a restitution, mowing the lawn maybe or whatever I could think of.

Probably get you arrested for blackmail

Returning the bike is 'restitution', anything beyond that . . .

 

[PottedMeat]

The bike is more or less worthless to me, it was a Walmart mountain bike from 10+ years ago.

aren't those like 500lbs?

 

[bigrash]

I would not have pressed charges over a cheap bike. Probably a stupid kid making a dumb mistake.

 

[CZroe]

I would not have pressed charges over a cheap bike. Probably a stupid kid making a dumb mistake.

It wasn't a dumb mistake if it didn't have consequences.

 

[JEDI]

To set the stage, I have a small home with a carport. I have had an old mountain bike under said carport for about...hmm 2 years.

I came home from work, was inside with my wife talking etc. She goes out to the laundry room which is off the carport to change things from the washer to the dryer etc etc. She in this time notices the bike is MISSING. Calls for me to see whats up if I had moved the bike etc. NOPE the bike was there when I got home an hour ago, where is it? STOLEN. Call the few neighbors I have the phone #'s for and see if they have seen or heard anything, nothing except for one who mentioned she had seen a lot of neighbor kids walking about lately (summer I take it)

I didn't care much about the bike, but the neighbor had said to report it just so the local PD know what is going on in the neighborhood so I go ahead and do so, sheriff's dept shows up and takes my report etc, finds out we were HOME and it was under the carport, says how it is a 2nd degree felony as a burglary with occupation of home. The neighbor directly across the street (the only one I didn't contact) came over and said how she saw someone etc etc. She files her statement after me, the cop left her home and pretty much immediately after leaving her home came back to my house and asked me to follow him up the road where the neighbor suspected the kids lived, I do so and pull up on a home a few blocks up the road where the "kids" who did this live, sure enough the bike is right inside the fence against the home. The officer who took my report called to make sure we know for a fact that the bike went missing today because the mother is saying the bike in question has been "shared" with the local kids for the past few weeks. I say BS I know it went missing today. Later on, another cop comes back after a bit and says how the kids and family are outside and want to "apologize" and return the bike to me. I say no thanks I couldn't care less what the kids have to say, go ahead and press the charges ( already filled out the report and intent to prosecute ).

The officer returns later with my bike and paper to fill out confirming I received the stolen goods. The "kid" is 17, in the patrol car on the way to the jail! Sounds good I say and close the door.

What would you have done? I couldn't care less about a bike, I care about the fact that my wife was home all day and even I was home at the time of the theft and the perp did it anyway.

I didn't fall for the "apology please drop the charges" trap they tried to set....have a good time in jail and enjoy your summer, hope your parents have fun bailing you out and paying all the your future legal fees....

WWYD? lol

wait.. how did it go from your neighbor saw something to bingo, the perp is there?

and why didnt the neighbor tell u she saw someone take your bike?

as for pressing charges... :thumbsup:
"Criminals thrive on the indulgence of society's understanding"

 

[exdeath]

Just walk around visibly carrying to/from your car, etc. Word will get around and nobody will mess with your house.