We’ve been looking for a larger house for a while now so while I was walking to the park with my daughter today I was really excited to see a beautiful old house for sale. It’s only a couple blocks from our place now, well made (over 100 years old) GORGEOUS!! So, when we are [...]
My kids laugh at me every morning when they leave for school because I tell them if they don’t tell me they love me before they go I’ll chase them down the street yelling “I Love You!” in front of their friends. After last week I make them give me a hug too. From Norfolk Public School Code of Conduct:
Robbery - Students will not take, or attempt to take, anything ofvalue that is owned by another person or organization, underconfrontational circumstances by force or threat of force orviolence or by putting the victim in fear.As a mom, when my kids aren’t with me I’ve always worry a little. The older they get the less I would worry. They’re smart and know how to be safe. When my older two – Michael, 14 and Joe, 12 took off for a couple weeks this summer to hang out in New York with my sister I didn’t worry a bit. When they were at the beach with other members of my family I didn’t worry a bit. Little did I know the danger would be much closer to home – Like, two blocks closer. AND somewhere I have deluded myself they would be safe – SCHOOL.
The boys are both in the public school system here in Norfolk. Blair Middle School is right in the middle of one the the nicest neighborhoods in the city – Ghent. Two short blocks from our front door. Or, after what happened last Wednesday, two terrifying long blocks from safety.
On the kids second day of school my son Joseph decided to ride his bike to school. No problem? Right? He’s only riding around the corner, doesn’t have to cross any busy streets – easy.
After a good second day, he walks out to the bike rack to get his bike and notices another kid sitting on his bike (not Joes, the kid is sitting on a bike like he’s ready to go home). When Joe leaves, the kid starts to follow him. He heads home and after about half a block the other kids is still following him so he turns around and goes back to the school – he’s a little scared – the kids much bigger than he is and is making him really nervous. The police officer that works at the school was standing out front so Joe goes up to him – he’s talking to someone, so Joe waits. After a couple of minutes (and not being able to get the attention of the officer) Joe looks around and doesn’t see the kid and thinks it’s safe to leave. He heads off in the opposite direction going a different way home. He’s riding down a block that has a few restaurants, art galleries, etc. for about a block and then turns at the Starbucks for the last block and a half home. He realizes pretty quickly the kid is still following him and he speeds up. The kid speeds up, jumps off his bike and grabs Joe’s bike – Joe starts yelling for help while he’s tugging on his bike – the kid pulls back – Joe pulls back – the kid puts his hand in his pocket to pull out a knife and says, “Give me your bike or I’ll cut you” – Joe drops the bike and runs back to the Starbucks on the corner. The kid leaves his bike on the sidewalk and takes off on Joe’s bike.
Meanwhile, at home. Michael has come home and I’m waiting on Joe, when there is a knock on the window. It’s two girls from the neighborhood high school. They tell me that Joe has been assaulted and robbed, but he’s ok and waiting for the police to show up at Starbucks. I grab the other kids and we head up the street. Joe is hysterical – terrified and MAD. While waiting for the police I am amazed at the number of people who saw what happened (one woman saw the kid following him another saw the struggle and was afraid to do anything and another saw the struggle but was too far away to do anything) and waited around with us to give their statements. The employees at Starbucks even looked out for him, giving him free drinks. His third grade teacher and her husband were even there and comforting him when I got there. When the police get there they write up a report and Detectives are called in. They give us hope because so many people saw the crime, but the fact that the first time Joe ever saw him was at the bike rack at school and he wasn’t sure whether he was a student at his school or not – we didn’t know if this would go anywhere.
Joe spent the next twelve hours, shaking and crying saying he never wanted to leave the house again.
I felt helpless. I wanted answers NOW (I wanted to kick the kids ass NOW) and was worried that with all the crime going on these days that an armed robbery that didn’t result in bodily injury would be low on the list for the police department. Boy was I wrong. I decided I would take Joe to school the following day and talk to the principal – I was so worried that the person would show up again at the school and I wanted Joe to feel safe.
While Joe and I were waiting in the office to speak to the principal we noticed the school police officer dragging a kid in by the back of the pants – past us and down the hall. About 20 minutes later we were called into the principals office. She told us that they had the person they think assaulted Joe. She then said the Detectives were already at the school questioning him. Joe gave his statement because the school also takes action (expulsion/suspension) against the student. Before we left I spoke with one of the detectives who seemed to think that the kid was going to give up all of the information needed to solve this case. I was amazed by how fast that happened.
By 2:00 that afternoon I received a phone call from the Detectives saying that the kid was being processed downtown and that he would not be back at the school. They also informed me that they had Joes bike and wanted to bring it by and have Joe do I photo line up while they were there.
At 3:00 when the kids came home from school I found out that this moron of a criminal actually RODE THE BIKE TO SCHOOL that day and that one of Joe’s friends who rides bikes with Joe daily saw the kid with the bike and went to the schools police officer (that’s when we saw the kid being dragged in). He tried to change the bike (took the brakes, lights, lock and hand grips off)
Thank God Joe wasn’t hurt and thank God the school administration and Norfolk police and detectives did such an amazing job following up all of the leads.
Now we wait for a subpoena and hope that this horrible experience doesn’t mark my 12 year old for life.
What the hell is wrong with people these days?!!!!!!
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