[N8 v2.0]

Mob of kids chase down suspicious stranger
Houston Chronicle | 24 May

Wielding baseball bats and sticks, a mob in northwest Houston today chased down a man suspected of preying on neighborhood children in recent weeks.

"We know him. The whole neighborhood knows him," said Carlos Gonzalez.

Residents told police the 44-year-old man tried to lure children into his van last week while it was parked at a nearby elementary school. They also accused him of hugging a 12-year-old boy on Saturday while he was wearing women's clothing.

Sharp-eyed neighborhood children initiated the pursuit of the suspected child predator.

"The little kids spotted him. The little kids started the chase," Gonzalez said. "All the little kids in the neighborhood -- they had sticks an everything."

About 20 children, mostly armed with sticks, began following the man when they spotted him at 12:45 p.m. near Peg and Bolin.

One of the pursuers, Francisco Garcia, 12, said the man -- who doesn't live in the area -- approached him Saturday night.

"He came up to me dressed like a woman and tried to hug me and talk to me," Garcia said. "I saw that he was a guy so I left."

Adults joined in the chase when the man threatened the young pursuers.

"I came out with a baseball bat," Gonzalez said. "When he saw the men coming, he ran."

The mob cornered the man in a fenced-in yard near Granite and Bolin where he waited for police to arrive.

The homeowner called police and pleaded with the crowd to not harm the man. Gonzalez said the man dropped a bundle on the ground which contained a girl's shirt wrapped around several pictures of small children.

"He was sitting there sniffing the shirt, laughing at us," Gonzalez said.

Officers arrested the man when they discovered the van he was driving had been stolen. They found several pairs of socks, a boy's T-shirt and a pair of girl's underwear inside the vehicle.

Though arrested for car theft, detectives were attempting to determine if he had been under investigation on child molestation or related charges.

While nobody was hurt during Sunday's pursuit, officers said citizens shouldn't take the law into their own hands.

"You need to call law enforcement and let us handle that," said Houston police officer S.A. Burk.

Gonzalez confronted the man last week, soon after he said the man attempted to lure children into his van.

"I said, `Hey, if you're in this neighborhood trying to get kids, you're going to get hurt,'" Gonzalez said. "He said you've got the wrong guy."

Police said officers have responded to two calls in the area in the recent past, but none resulted in any arrest. It wasn't known late Sunday whether any of the calls were about sexual assault allegations.

Local resident Alfonso Martinez has a boy, 4, and a girl, 7, and said he hoped Sunday was the last day they would see the man in their neighborhood.

"I hope he doesn't come back," Martinez said. "Something bad is going to happen if he shows up around this neighborhood."

 

[Evel Monkey]

good.

 

[Lexx D]

That's great. Angry mob of kids. Whatever the guy sounds like a fuking sicko they should have kicked his a$$

Oops almost forgot to :nuts:

 

[llkoolkeg]

Originally posted by N8
The homeowner called police and pleaded with the crowd to not harm the man. Gonzalez said the man dropped a bundle on the ground which contained a girl's shirt wrapped around several pictures of small children.

"He was sitting there sniffing the shirt, laughing at us," Gonzalez said.

Officers arrested the man when they discovered the van he was driving had been stolen. They found several pairs of socks, a boy's T-shirt and a pair of girl's underwear inside the vehicle.

One of those rare occasions when ya actually wish the homeowner had just pulled the shades, turned a blind eye and decided to "not get involved". :angry:

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by llkoolkeg
One of those rare occasions when ya actually wish the homeowner had just pulled the shades, turned a blind eye and decided to "not get involved". :angry:

i hear ya, BUT they didn't discover enough evidence until AFTER the police got there.

Besides, the guy sounded more crazy and pathetic than your normal sicko.

 

[Lexx D]

Originally posted by LordOpie
i hear ya, BUT they didn't discover enough evidence until AFTER the police got there.

Besides, the guy sounded more crazy and pathetic than your normal sicko.

"the man dropped a bundle on the ground which contained a girl's shirt wrapped around several pictures of small children.

"He was sitting there sniffing the shirt, laughing at us," Gonzalez said. "

:angry: Yeah that sounds crazy, sick, pathetic and whatever else you can come up with. I live in an area with a bunch of kids around. The headline would have been more like "man found beaten stupid" and since i know the cops around here the next one would say "police have no leads in beating":angry:

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by Lexx D
"the man dropped a bundle on the ground which contained a girl's shirt wrapped around several pictures of small children.

"He was sitting there sniffing the shirt, laughing at us," Gonzalez said. "

:angry: Yeah that sounds crazy, sick, pathetic and whatever else you can come up with. I live in an area with a bunch of kids around. The headline would have been more like "man found beaten stupid" and since i know the cops around here the next one would say "police have no leads in beating":angry:

And just how horrible would you have felt if you found out after beating him to death that the shirt and pics were the only thing left from his kids who died in a house fire?

When they found the van, that's when they knew for certain that the guy was guilty of multiple crimes.

 

[Lexx D]

Originally posted by LordOpie
And just how horrible would you have felt if you found out after beating him to death that the shirt and pics were the only thing left from his kids who died in a house fire?

When they found the van, that's when they knew for certain that the guy was guilty of multiple crimes.

"Residents told police the 44-year-old man tried to lure children into his van last week while it was parked at a nearby elementary school. They also accused him of hugging a 12-year-old boy on Saturday while he was wearing women's clothing."

Yeah sure sounds like he was heartbroken over his family

"Oh but what if he was a nice man that just liked giving kids candy" In every situation there's a "what if" so what's your point. That was clearly not the case(ok given the "facts" that wasn't the case)

 

[jmvar]

And just how horrible would you have felt if you found out after beating him to death that the shirt and pics were the only thing left from his kids who died in a house fire?

When they found the van, that's when they knew for certain that the guy was guilty of multiple crimes.

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I agree, an angry mob does not make the best jury.....also, if he had been beaten I am sure someone would have ended up in jail or juvy, not the best place to be if you really want to protect your neighborhood.

 

[Evel Monkey]

They also accused him of hugging a 12-year-old boy on Saturday while he was wearing women's clothing.

Just wanting to hug his "son" while dressed as his daughter?

Of course this could go on and on, but it is obvious he wasn't just some crazy and pathetic loser. He seems to be testing the waters of what the neighborhood will allow (ie: will anyone care about these children?), and they put him in check. Good for them.

Reminds me of when I was in grade school. Some dude came on to the playground during morning recess, very drunk. Started mouthing off to us kids and got his azz beat by about 10 of us, then hauled off by the cops. Point of the story, he was doing something somewhere where he shoud not have been.

 

[llkoolkeg]

Originally posted by LordOpie
And just how horrible would you have felt if you found out after beating him to death that the shirt and pics were the only thing left from his kids who died in a house fire?

Very horrible. And how horrible would you have felt if you found out that he had molested a child you knew before you turned the other cheek and let him go about his perverse business? Not that I approve of lynch mobs and street justice, but sometimes you have to look after your community...especially where children and strange grown men are concerned.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Call me old fashioned, but I believe any man dressed up as a woman who goes around in a van and "hugs" random boys DESERVES to be beat down by an angry mob of some type. Though in California, this type of behavior will result in secure employment, i still see it as sick and wrong.

 

[Westy]

This happened in Texas. I am suprized that one of the kids was not packing heat and shot the guy. I'm pretty sure Texas law allows you to shoot someone for being creepy.

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by llkoolkeg
And how horrible would you have felt if you found out that he had molested a child you knew before you turned the other cheek and let him go about his perverse business?

Don't be an ass. Where/when did I say I'd turn the other cheek?

Mob mentality is wrong. Don't be cattle.

 

[Evel Monkey]

Originally posted by LordOpie
Don't be an ass. Where/when did I say I'd turn the other cheek?

Mob mentality is wrong. Don't be cattle.

Is it just me, or is this statement an oxymoron?

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by Evel Monkey
Is it just me, or is this statement an oxymoron?

I know it's a slow news day here on RM... go googling and post something interesting.

 

[llkoolkeg]

Originally posted by LordOpie
Don't be an ass. Where/when did I say I'd turn the other cheek?

Don't be a contrarian devil's advocate by dreaming up unrealistic "but what if" scenarios. Did you not read the repeated circumstances that led up to him being followed by the group of kids? This particular mob wasn't chasing phantom witches in Salem; they correctly identified the sicko after multiple unpleasant(and unpunished) encounters with him. Why does recognizing that make me an ass?

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by llkoolkeg
Why does recognizing that make me an ass?

Is it 4:20p already? Cuz you ain't following the progression of the posts.


Someone needs to post something we can actually discuss.

 

[llkoolkeg]

Originally posted by LordOpie
Is it 4:20p already? Cuz you ain't following the progression of the posts.


Someone needs to post something we can actually discuss.

Teeheehee. Six minutes and counting. I'm meeting a buddy for happy hour at 5:00pm and nothing helps fuel the thirst for pints like pre-brew buddage. :evil:

 

[LordOpie]

Originally posted by llkoolkeg
Teeheehee. Six minutes and counting. I'm meeting a buddy for happy hour at 5:00pm and nothing helps fuel the thirst for pints like pre-brew buddage. :evil:

man, I wish weed was legal. I'd smoke on occassion, but I guess I'll just have to settle for being a legal drunk.

 

[jmvar]

In this case the offendor had roamed the neighborhood and had been identified. Understood. But do you really think that 10 and 12 year old boys will diferentiate the next time around when the situation is not black and white?

Do you really want to teach kids to fly off the handle and Samy Sosa anyone that they have in their own mind prosecuted and found guilty? All I know is that that's not something I would want to teach my kids. Especially when they are with a large group, I have read studies performed on mob mentality and it is scary what a group of rational adults will do when they find themselves in a mob vendeta situtation......