Like mothers everywhere, a Fort Myers mom who was in the news recently wants the best for her child. She wants her 15-year-old son to grow up to be a responsible adult.
That is why she recently called police to come and arrest her son on car burglary charges. She said she wants “him to learn that he’s got to be responsible for his actions.” She told a local TV station that she hopes her son is placed on home detention by juvenile crime authorities.
The teenager was apparently accompanying other youths who were stealing items from unlocked cars.
His mother noticed that he had a cell phone that she did not recognize. Her suspicions aroused, she took the phone and launched her own investigation. She first contacted the phone’s owner and then arranged to meet him.
The phone’s owner told her that his wallet had also been taken and a credit card used to charge items at a fast food restaurant and convenience store. When she found a fast food receipt and matched it against the man’s claims, she “broke down,” she said.
When deputies arrived at her home, they showed her surveillance footage from a store; she identified her son in the video and two of his friends.
Now she and her son must deal with the juvenile justice system.
Even when parents concede that their child has made a mistake, they still want punishment to be appropriate. To ensure fairness, they will speak with a Fort Myers criminal defense attorney experienced in juvenile crime matters.
