North Coast School Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 You read that right. Two nights ago our home was burglarized. By two nine year old girls. NINE. YEARS. OLD. They took Kindles, cameras, ipods, cash, and jewelry. Plus they took some of my daughter's clothes, shoes, and toys. We caught them just as we were coming home because they stopped to buy ice cream from the ice cream truck outside our home. Carrying our stuff in our suitcases. And wearing my daughter's clothes. (Nine year olds are not criminal masterminds) So we recovered everything but about $20 that they spent on ice cream. Here's the kicker: These girls are classmates of my daughter at PS. They play with her. They ride her bus. They live down the street. I keep an eye on them because their parents do not. So when people ask you "Aren't you worried about Socialization?" you can tell them that THIS is the kind of socialization that we are trying to avoid when we HS our kids. I am so glad that we had already decided to pull DD out of PS at the end of the year and go back to homeschool. No IEP is worth this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 did you call the police? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 :eek: :eek: :eek: You pressed charges, yes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 gobsmacked. totally gobsmacked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 :scared: Are the police involved? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 wow, sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Oh, my! And I thought the credit card fraud by 11 yr olds my first year of PS teaching was bad! (I got a call from a manager at a department store that two young girls were trying to use my credit card. The clerk called the manager, who looked up my home phone and called me, because the kids involved were young enough that most parents wouldn't hand them a charge card and tell them to charge several hundred dollars of stuff, and the girls were adamant that their mom had dropped them off). Glad you got the stuff back-that was a well-timed Ice cream truck! Did you press charges? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 How did they get in your house? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 That is UNBELIEVABLE. I would love to know how they were dealt with because that is so insane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I, too, want to know if you involved police. I would have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Coast School Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 Yes, police were involved. A patrol car was driving by just as one of the little girls tried to run away from us. The police tell us that they might be too young to be arrested. 9-11 is a "grey area" in the eys of the law. However, we most likely won't press charges anyways because the one girl's dad is part of a gang that runs in our neighborhood and I simply don't want any more trouble. We are moving this summer, so I just want to pack up and get out. Oh, and before you think we live in some scary inner city with cops driving around, 9 year old criminals and a neighborhood gang, let me assure you, we don't. We live in a nice quiet little college town that is nestled in the middle of farm country. We just happen to live near a border and that brings gangs and drug traffic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 How did they get into your house? I think you are smart to just lay low until your move. May it come swiftly for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Oh, did you clearly communicate that you've decided not to file charges? I'd want that gang guy to understand you made that decision. (FWIW, I am all about justice, but more about protecting my family in our own home.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Changed my mind about my comment. I don't have time to follow it up. Sorry about your neighborhood's criminal element. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Coast School Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 We aren't sure how they got in. There was a window open, very small, but big enough for a little kid. Also, we have a garage that has a push-button code to get in and they may have watched DD enter the code when they were getting bikes and stuff the night before the burglary. They asked to come in to the house the night before the burglary to use the bathroom and we now suspect that they were casing the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Coast School Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 @Tibbie--No, no, no, I don't blame the school AT ALL. I blame the gangs, the drugs, the parents, and more than anything I blame POVERTY and child neglect. I just mean that our public schools have many troubled kids in them. When we get the line "What about Socialization?" I can certainly point out that there are lots of kids at my PS that I don't want my child learning social skills from. You can see from my sig that I have a kid in PS right now, so I am not anti-school by any stretch of the imagination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilma Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Woah. That's wild! I hope you can get moved pronto! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 absolutely call the police. at my mom's "secure" condo - it's the parents who put the little kids over the fence to let them in so they can rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mathnerd Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 They asked to come in to the house the night before the burglary to use the bathroom and we now suspect that they were casing the house. My mind boggles at this - how can a 9 year old girl be smart enough to premeditate and plan a burglary? I guess it is possible if they come from a family of gang members and watched them do things like that or if the gang members instructed them on how to go about this burglary or if this is not the first time they did it. I am so sorry that this happened on so many fronts - sorry for you, your DD who will be encountering these girls again and sorry for those children who lost the innocence, joy in life and the pure mind that children have at so early an age. I wish you good luck until the move happens. Get a huge safe and lock your iphones, kindles etc before you step out of your house. Ask your daughter to not interact with those kids. Very good timing by the icecream truck and the patrol car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 it wasn't that long ago a three year old was caught ON security CAMERA stealing a wallet from a woman's purse in a restaurant. her mother and grandmother had instructed her on what to do. nine year olds don't think up this stuff on their own, unless they've been exposed to/taught it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Yeah, somehow being robbed by kids is worse. I was once robbed by probably the same age range on Good Friday. The Good Friday part bugs me too. I live in a Fox and Jacobs home (major starter home developer decades ago). If you lived in reversed floor plan house, your sliding glass door was installed inside out. So, the kids just removed the door and had free access to the house. It could have been a lot worse. They took the cheap whiskey on top of the fridge. But not the good stuff in the dining room. They took my boom box but not my jewelry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umsami Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 OMG, how horrible. I actually feel for those girls too, because if you're breaking and entering at 9….what are you up to at 11? at 13? I honestly think that the cops should be involving CPS or something. Saw a sad story today about another 9 year old. This was a 9 year old boy killed trying to protect his 11 year old sister from being raped. What is the world coming to. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 My mind boggles at this - how can a 9 year old girl be smart enough to premeditate and plan a burglary? Well, they weren't that smart about it- getting caught and all... I hope it will serve as a wake up call to them. How is your DD coping? I hope you all are able to move quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 :crying: 9 year olds--that's so sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 it wasn't that long ago a three year old was caught ON security CAMERA stealing a wallet from a woman's purse in a restaurant. her mother and grandmother had instructed her on what to do. nine year olds don't think up this stuff on their own, unless they've been exposed to/taught it. Someone mentioned upthread that the police said the younger ages are a gray area. Is this why someone might encourage them to engage in this activity? No one could imagine pressing charges against someone this young, so there's no official consequence. Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I see no problem with pressing charges, or taking a 9-year-old to jail, and making them wear an orange jumpsuit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I know of homeschool kids who were busted for home burglaries. The mom was busy taking a sibling to a class every week, offering the kids a perfect opportunity. Obviously children are not taken to jail or made to wear orange jumpsuits, but even sending them to juvie isn't all that great an option. Younger children can be victimized all too easily. The juvenile detention center that I used to work for on occasion did try to separate kids by age as well as by offense but that isn't always possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Yes, police were involved. A patrol car was driving by just as one of the little girls tried to run away from us. The police tell us that they might be too young to be arrested. 9-11 is a "grey area" in the eys of the law. However, we most likely won't press charges anyways because the one girl's dad is part of a gang that runs in our neighborhood and I simply don't want any more trouble. Yikes. I'm so sorry for you. But what happens now? Even if you move away in months, you still have to live down the street from these folks. And, I'm unsure about the "pressing charges" issue. If the police themselves caught the girls red handed, do you even have a say in whether or not they are punished in some way by the judicial system? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Holy moley. Your poor daughter. I just heard a radio story about some guy who has trained little kids to steal purses and such at Chuck E Cheese. They then meet him in the restroom and hand over what they've taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Holy moley. Your poor daughter. I just heard a radio story about some guy who has trained little kids to steal purses and such at Chuck E Cheese. They then meet him in the restroom and hand over what they've taken. That was on our local news last night. Back to the OP's situation. The police should have reported the children to CPS even if they couldn't arrest them because often that sort of thing is a form of abuse by adults getting the kids to do the dirty work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 My mind boggles at this - how can a 9 year old girl be smart enough to premeditate and plan a burglary? Watching too many re-runs of Home Alone. However kids have been used as lookouts in gang activities so its possible they seen the older gang members plan a burglary too often. And, I'm unsure about the "pressing charges" issue. If the police themselves caught the girls red handed, do you even have a say in whether or not they are punished in some way by the judicial system? You can lodge a police report and not press charges. What happens is that there is a paper trail of sorts if it happen again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 If your daughter is still attending the school, I would be sure to notify the prinicpal and the teacher of what happened so they can watch and make sure that your daughter is not targeted at the school by these girls. Things like attempting to bully her to prevent you from pressing charges (more a parent to kid suggestion/order) or blaming her for their getting caught and (hopefully) in trouble (which would be more of an idea thought up by 9yos). But I would certainly want the powers that be at the school to know there could be a serious problem between the girls/their friends and family attending the school and your kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I can not fathom this! My girls are playing with their baby dolls currently. Can't imagine them breaking in and stealing someone's stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 It's heartbreaking to me that 9 year old would do this. 9 year olds steal a video game on the spur of the moment, not case a house and come in an burglarize it while the family isn't home. My sister runs the book fair (sale) at her son's elementary school. There are always kids who grab something little to steal for whatever reason. Most of them are so obvious about it they are caught immediately. In the fall my sister watched as a little first grader - six years old - made very specific movements and checking around herself to steal some of the books and trinkets. When they stopped her, she knew everything to say to try to get out of it. They feel that this child has been trained by her parent(s) to shoplift things. Who knows if that might be the case with these girls, or if they are just mimicking behaviors they have seen, but whatever the reason it just makes me so sad to hear of things like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumshadow Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 That is heartbreaking for everyone involved, it's nothing but a situation full of victims (except the parents). I'm really sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 That is so sad. :( I am very happy to hear that you're moving soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 You can lodge a police report and not press charges. What happens is that there is a paper trail of sorts if it happen again. You file a police report if you need to tell the police something they don't already know. If the police come upon the thieves in flagrante delicto, they've got paperwork they themselves must file. Thinking about this abstractly, I don't understand why the victim should have a say in the prosecution of an offense. Seems like it just leads to potential problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I got the impression from the police when I was robbed by kids that people frequently do decline to press charges. The police officer seemed relieved/happy when I said Yes definitively to the question, "If we find the perpetrator, will you be willing to press charges" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Holy cow. Just wow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuirkyKapers Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Wow! How is your daughter doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Yikes, I'm glad you were able to get your stuff back! I am not surprised by this story though. I had to call the cops on some 7-8 year old boys last summer who were repeatedly crawling through a dog door into a vacant rental by me. They did not care that I told them to leave. I have no idea what the police actually did, but I had to ID them and they had them all sitting in a row on the sidewalk. I assume they got a stern talking to. :huh: One of the boys fathers was arrested not long after for drug possession. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laundrycrisis Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I would adopt a barky dog, and find a secure hiding place for small electronics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Wow, their parents must be so proud. FWIW, I would press charges. Part of the reason special people think they are so special is because people rarely hold them accountable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Coast School Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 Thanks for all the replies! Just to answer a few questions... Yes, there is some degree that this is not up to us whether or not the girls get prosecuted. The officer in charge told us that if the girls are deemed old enough, detectives will contact us to follow up. But we were also asked if we wanted to follow through on anything and we said no thanks. My kids are doing pretty well. My son is already incredibly anxious (one of the reasons we homeschool him), so this certainly disturbed him more than anyone else in the family. I sent an email to the principal of the school, my DD's teacher, and the girls' teacher. We followed up with a meeting today. They are not following up on any discipline in the school, and can't really say much to me because of the strict privacy laws. For example, i am allowed to say the thief girls names, but the principal cannot. But the teachers are supporting my dd, trying to damage control on the rumors (many of the kids in the neighborhood saw the cops with the girls). They sent my dd to the counselor just to check in...I think in some ways my dd is enjoying the attention... :huh: As far as CPS, I am considering making a report. I want to know that it does not come back to me (fears of gang retaliation), but these girls are UNSUPERVISED all the time, from 4-9 PM every night. I might just wait until we move. On a funny note, I volunteer on Fridays at my DD's school. When I showed up, the two thieves saw me across the hall (their class is right across from my DD's class) and they nearly pooped their pants. I think they thought I was there for them. There teacher was able to give me a little look as they walked past me in the hall as if to say, "A little guilt is a good thing!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Coast School Posted May 2, 2014 Author Share Posted May 2, 2014 I would adopt a barky dog, and find a secure hiding place for small electronics. We have a big Doberman! But we introduced the thieves to her just the night before and put them on the "safe" list. It looked like they tried to feed her to make friends...they also fed our fish and our hamster! :huh: DH and I are now calling our dog the Great Brown Hunter. Super vicious, obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Holy moley. Your poor daughter. I just heard a radio story about some guy who has trained little kids to steal purses and such at Chuck E Cheese. They then meet him in the restroom and hand over what they've taken. does the modern day artful dodger have a fagin he reports to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 We aren't sure how they got in. There was a window open, very small, but big enough for a little kid. Also, we have a garage that has a push-button code to get in and they may have watched DD enter the code when they were getting bikes and stuff the night before the burglary. They asked to come in to the house the night before the burglary to use the bathroom and we now suspect that they were casing the house. Precocious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 does the modern day artful dodger have a fagin he reports to? The radio reporter was making as many Dickens puns as he could come up with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 Watching too many re-runs of Home Alone. However kids have been used as lookouts in gang activities so its possible they seen the older gang members plan a burglary too often. You can lodge a police report and not press charges. What happens is that there is a paper trail of sorts if it happen again. In my state it's not up to the victim. The victim can cooperate or not, but it's not their call whether to press charges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntPol Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 So sad you went through this. However, it's not a public school vs homeschool thing. My aunt and uncle were burglarized by an affluent homeschool teen with no gang relations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.