A 14-year-old alleged serial burglar — whose friends even placed orders for specific items — told Santa Fe County sheriff’s deputies he “needs to be in jail” because he “feels a rush when he enters a home,” according to a police report…
So far, the boy has admitted to about 80 residential burglaries in the city and county of Santa Fe during the last year, as well as others in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, Sheriff Greg Solano said. Preliminarily, it appears the boy — in conjunction with up to four other juveniles — stole approximately 40 flat-screen televisions, 30 guns, seven ounces of cocaine and $10,000 in cash, as well as an unspecified number of iPods and laptop computers, he said.
“It will easily be in the tens of thousands of dollars,” Solano said.
But despite the boy’s admissions of guilt, he has not been arrested and, thus, was not identified by the Sheriff’s Department. The Juvenile Probation Office declined to authorize the boy’s arrest because he didn’t score highly enough on the office’s point scale, which is used to determine if a juvenile should be incarcerated, Solano said.
“The point system is geared toward violent crime,” he said. “And they don’t consider burglary a violent crime.”
Solano, however, said he does consider burglary a violent crime because it can turn violent if a resident is home at the time of the intrusion. Also, burglary victims often feel violated, he said.
Asked if he thinks the boy will continue to break into houses, Solano said, “Yeah, I do.”
Reflect on the loonies in charge of criminal justice for juveniles. Because apparently nothing will be done unless the little shit in question kills someone or is injured in the course of committing a crime.
Yes, let’s put him in jail, so he can learn real crime!!
Come on, he’s still a CHILD! I’m sure there are other ways to lead him to a more constructive way of life. What about his parents? his friends? his educators ?
Thank god there are still “bureaucrats” to refrain Sheriffs from sending to jail each misbehaving teenager.
This is what happens when survival takes priority over family. Two working adults have kids so they both need to continue to work. House keeping and child rearing is a full time job and somebody’s got to do it or the kids have a higher probability of making bad choices. This kid’s 14, a tough age for parents and kids. While I obviously don’t approve of what he’s done, the kid obviously has a lot of potential, albeit misguided. Properly oriented he could be a valuable member of society. His parents better take control, internment in a military academy perhaps? One thing I am sure of, next time, they’ll treat him like an adult.
“Because apparently nothing will be done unless the little shit in question kills someone or is injured in the course of committing a crime.”
hahaha. methinks the “little shit” stole Ed’s TV!
but I agree, lock him up. 14 is old enough to know how to act, and what’s going to happen to you if you step out of line.
I must be missing something here.
The police investigate crimes and apprehend the perpetrators. The Prosecutors decide if there is enough evidence to convict the offender or if he should be placed in another program. The Justice system tries them to see if they have actually committed an offense and decide what how to punish the guilty. The Corrections department then takes the convicted person and streams him into one of several programs.
So why is the end of the system telling the start of the system how to do their job? Arrest the kid and let the Prosecutor take it from there.
I work on one of the “systems” they’re talking about. The only thing the “lock ’em up” mentality does is cost a ton of money and turn someone who could have become a productive society member into someone the government is going to have to house in criminal facilities for the rest of their life.
While saying things like “lock ’em up and throw away the key” can be satisfying emotionally, time and time again it has been proven to be really bad for society. Unfortunately the programs that actually work tend to be the ones that get stamped with “soft on crime” because they actually try to figure out why a person committed the crime and actually do something about that. Then when budgets get tight and cutting needs to be done those programs get cut, crime goes up and then we end up needing to stick ten times the amount of money into prisons. Just look at the California and Texas penal systems. (They may call them “Corrections” but they don’t really do any correcting.)
#1 I agree. There is a chance to “turn” the child as he isn’t violent yet.
This is what happens when the bleeding heart hippie liberals take away corporal punishment as a parenting tool. I’m not saying the parents should beat the child senseless, but this child obviously has no fear of any punishment whatsoever.
This kid is going to get shot when he robs someone who is both home and has a gun. They need to lock this kid up for his own safety.
Why lock him up, put in your order for a HDtv and a new ipod. I’m sure the enterprising young man could get a few friends together and make a killing on ebay. Maybe even retire by 18.
What Benjamin said….
And when some homeowner actually does kill the kid, then the lawsuits will follow….
And the homeowner will have to fight a judicial system that presumes that waiting 10 minutes for a Police Officer (via a 911 call) beats removing the threat yourself….
“Well, you didn’t have to shoot him” should always be countered with “Well, he didn’t have to climb in through that window either.”
There are, or should be, programs that will turn around kids that age. Another bureaucratic boondoggle, and of limited effectiveness, but you don’t know if you don’t try. Having been non-violent doesn’t mean anything….
The troops on the ground need to make the assessment, though. If they’re not qualified, then it’s time to buy new troops….
About the only good thing that will come out of just slapping the kid into jail likely is an increase in his ability to avoid contact with the victims. His new friends will teach him…. They may also teach him to be more violent….
He may then find out that he likes it….
Then a homeowner or Police Officer will shoot him, and, well, see the top of this note….
This only makes sense if “home burglaries” has an “incarceration potential score” of zero. I agree the scale should be weighted in favor of violence, but that doesn’t mean lesser crimes don’t have smaller points that over time would add up.
Their system is very poorly designed from a number of viewpoints.
So, when the decision was made (SOMEHOW) not to prosecute, how was the mandatory counseling and oversight put into place? – – – the same zero?
It’s a violent crime even if it isn’t violent because it could be violent. By the same “logic”, “Eideard” (whoever that is, looks like an anonymous coward) could be sued for copyright violation because the next time he posts, that’s what might happen. There’s a slippery slope in there somewhere, I suspect.
#12–Petey==YOU are the only person arguing that there was a violent crime. Voices in your head, or are you on the downhill slide from sanity?
After being violated in the same manner three times by a neighbor boy, about the same age as this kid, and having property and cash stolen, PPV porn ordered and my wife’s underwear drawer ransacked, I cannot believe that burglary is not considered a violent crime. It’s a mild form of rape.
I think the best thing for society will happen soon; his luck will run out and an angry homeowner will kill him. I don’t know what I would do if our little neighborhood bastard shithead attempts another break in. We now have video cameras inside and outside our house, a shotgun and a zero tolerance policy. We constantly live in fear of another break in. I already verbally threatened him in front of his family with a baseball bat in hand and we have not had another incident since, but if he repeats one more time… I won’t be talking anymore.
It’s obvious that Zebulon has never been violated or had his family violated. If there are no consequences, this negative behavior WILL continue. Our police was totally useless too. WTF do we pay them for?
And I’m a hippie at heart. It’s live and let live, not steal and let live. An eye for an eye worked for hundreds of years. Bring back justice!
# 14 Shidan said, “And I’m a hippie at heart. It’s live and let live, not steal and let live.”
Most hippies I know are fine with taking others money & possessions, that’s why they vote for wealth redistribution. Hypocritical?
#12, Pete,
By the same “logic”, “Eideard” (whoever that is, looks like an anonymous coward) could be sued for copyright violation because the next time he posts, that’s what might happen.
I notice that you didn’t post your full name, address, telephone, and SSN. Why must you hide behind the anonymity? What are you hiding? What is it, a predilection for little boys? You don’t want us to know you are a diddler?
Effen moran.
#15 The discussion of redistribution of wealth is pure bullshit. Both side do it and it’s part of America, for better or worse. AIG? Wall Street? This redistribution of wealth goes to top executive who vote Republican and was supported by Republicans at the end of last year.
I started out a democrat and now consider myself independent because I don’t agree with Republican or Democrats all the time. The Republicans redistributed our wealth to Texan corporations and Iraq in the last 8 years. Democrats redistribute wealth to the poor. This topic is about theft, not politics.
I’m not fine taking money or possessions from others, for the record. And I’m not a hippie anymore. In another 20 years I’ll probably change my views some more, so it’s not hypocritical, it’s evolution of thought and belief. Don’t be a blind sheep following political rhetoric. Think for yourself Paddy-O the Plumber…
# 17 Shidan said, “The discussion of redistribution of wealth is pure bullshit.”
So, do you support it or not?
Most of your posts on crime are about how the police throw everyone in jail. Finally we have a group that does what you ask, and you still complain…
#18 In general, I am not in favor of redistribution of wealth, but there are cases that do have merit, such as I believe we should support our disabled/mentally challenged citizens, veterans and temporary assistance for unemployed workers.
I don’t believe in providing assistance for welfare moms who live on the system, people who abuse the disability system, illegal aliens getting better medical care than US citizens or redistribution of wealth to Wall Street or Octo-Mom.
How about you?
# 20 Shidan said, “#18 In general, I am not in favor of redistribution of wealth, but there are cases that do have merit,”
So you do or don’t support taking more from people who are more successful and giving to people who are less successful?
Yes, or no?
I agree don’t lock him up just post his name and address so those who he “non violently” invaded stole and destroyed their security can have a nice chat with him. Ill bet after the chat he never breaks into another house again
As the victim of repeated home burglaries by a young teenage boy, I can’t help but be infuriated by this article. I wholeheartedly feel that burglary IS a violent crime… if you haven’t been robbed, don’t comment that it isn’t violent, trust me, it is. Maybe 1 or 2 might be forgivable for a teenager, but over 80?!? Give me a break, he said he “feels a rush every time he enters a house” hmmm… sounds like an addict to me…
If this boy has confessed to 80 burglaries over a year, that means he started when he was 13!! If you don’t have good morals and the difference between right & wrong instilled in you by 13, you have a very dim future ahead of you. If at 14 he’s learning that he can steal from others instead of working for what he wants, with no consequences for his actions, how will this boy EVER want to WORK for a living? No, he’ll just continue to steal from others to make a quick buck thinking that he’ll never get punished.
And BTW where the F*** are his PARENTS?!?!? Great job raising your kid Mom & Dad… we’re in a time when parents can be held responsible for their kids throwing a party with alcohol and all the potential results from that, even without knowledge of the party, why aren’t the parents being held responsible for this piece of sh** kid that will never amount to anything? Do you people honestly think that if a 14 year old is already committing these types of crimes that he will ever “turn” into a positive member of society? I think you’re mistaken, and you need to meet my teenage neighbor that’s robbed me repeatedly with no punishment. Oh yeah, and a big Thank You to our Sheriff’s Dept that apparently has been taking queues from the Sante Fe Sheriff.
#21 – It’s not black and white and I already explained myself. This discussion is not about redistribution of wealth. It’s about burglary. I guess you’re arguing that they are one in the same, but they are not. I support temporarily helping those in need. I’m against abuse of the system. So to shut you up, yes, I support some forms of redistribution of wealth, in order to help US citizens get back on their feet. I certainly do not support taking from everyone to make the rich richer.
You still haven’t answered the same question. And have you ever received unemployment, disability, a free digital converter box or cashed your economic stimulus checks from George W Bush? If yes, then you are a hypocrite.
#24 – So you support taking of wealth from someone by force but complain when it happens to you.
Got it.
Hypocrite.
#25 – If the United States votes in favor of redistributing wealth, then it’s not force. It’s called democracy. If you break into my house, it’s called burglary. They are not the same fucking thing you stupid redneck. You are free to move to a different country. Go find somewhere better.
I played your game, now you play mine. Answer my question to you: Did you cash your George W Bush stimulus check?
# 26 Shidan said, “If the United States votes in favor of redistributing wealth, then it’s not force.”
Really? If you fail to hand over your wealth as demanded you will see lots of force.
You should be a stand up comedian. ROFL!
#25 – You are a total A$$… you are the hypocrite… you don’t answer the direct questions asked to you. DID you cash your stimulus check?!?!? If so, when you call someone a hypocrite – look in the mirror.
For the record, I’m with Shidan on this one… while I’m unemployed, AIG employees, and AIG EX-employees are getting MILLIONS of Americans hard earned tax dollars. YES, I have issue when the government has a problem helping its honest tax-paying citizens while helping the fools on Wall Street get richer.
And, no, this topic isn’t about politics or redistribution of wealth. It’s about a stupid kid robbing scores of people and getting away with it. Oh wait, I do see the parallel in current news headlines – Bernie Madoff anyone?
So, Paddy-O I can assume that you’ve never been robbed, or know anyone that has, or you’d have some sympathy for Shidan instead of calling a victim of a crime a hypocrite because of his personal political beliefs. Stay on topic, or shut the hell up.
# 28 Margaret said, “You are a total A$$… you are the hypocrite”
Really? Because I don’t support taking from those with $ to give to those with less under threat of force and bodily harm?
I’ve been a net contributor since I was 16. Anyone who supports forcibly taking property from someone to give to others can get robbed at gunpoint everyday and I just laugh.
#27 – Paddy-O: Did you cash your George W Bush stimulus check?