California girl, 11, charged for throwing rock

Metacortex · 18-07-2005 03:57PM #1

an 11-year-old California girl who threw a rock to defend herself as neighbourhood boys pelted her with water balloons is being prosecuted on a felony charge of assaulting a boy with a deadly weapon.

Maribel Cuevas says she didn't mean to hurt the nine-year-old boy, who acknowledged to police that he started the fight in late April. He needed stitches in his head.

Maribel has already spent five days in juvenile hall with only one half-hour visit from her parents. She then spent 30 days under house arrest, wearing a GPS ankle bracelet to monitor her whereabouts, and is due back in court early next month.

"They're treating her like she's a violent parole offender," her lawyer Richard Beshwate Jr said.

Assistant Fresno County District Attorney Bob Ellis said he could not comment on the case because it involved children.

Police sent three squad cars and a helicopter in response to an emergency call.

But authorities deny that their response was influenced by the setting – a low-income, largely minority neighbourhood – or by language difficulties.

Maribel's first language is Spanish and she and her family members speak limited English.

"We responded. We determined a felony assault had taken place and the officers took the actions that were necessary," Fresno Police Sergeant Anthony Martinez said. – AP

I had to share this, its just to insane to let pass by.
What child hasn't thrown rocks at some point or another? I doubt she meant to hurt the other kid and i don't think the situation merits putting the kid in a juvenille hall and then house arrest and an ankle bracelet.

Police sent three squad cars and a helicopter in response to an emergency call.

????
They're having a laugh surely?

Sleepy · 18-07-2005 04:03PM

I wonder would they have responded as fast had the girl been armed with a semi-automatic? Something tells me now...

One of these days I might get some faith back in humanity (maybe if Bush was assassinated or something) but for the moment, it's almost at a negative....

[wonder if the FBI will be interested in a post with Bush, assassinated and semi-automatic in it?

monkeyfudge · 18-07-2005 04:06PM

Sleepy wrote:

I wonder would they have responded as fast had the girl been armed with a semi-automatic? Something tells me now...

One of these days I might get some faith back in humanity (maybe if Bush was assassinated or something) but for the moment, it's almost at a negative....

[wonder if the FBI will be interested in a post with Bush, assassinated and semi-automatic in it?

Might I suggest adding the word 'jihad'?

I heard about this story earlier today... it all seems a bit excessive alright.

pickarooney · 18-07-2005 04:08PM

It might put manners on her. You have to love the wording at the end, the way they invent a race/social slant with the old 'authorities deny' line.

It does seem a bit excessive, but it's the kind of action most boardsters seem to think appropriate for scangerbabies who do similar, so why not give it a shot.

Sleipnir · 18-07-2005 04:09PM

Metacortex wrote:

They're having a laugh surely?

I don't think Americans are capable of having a laugh anymore.

Goodshape · 18-07-2005 04:12PM

Jayzuz... I remember doing something quite similar when I was a wee lad (neighbours kids, around the same age as me, threatening to throw rocks.. I think feck this, grab what turns out to be a rather large rock and chuck it at them).

The fear of retribution was pretty extreme at the time.. can't imagine what I would have thought had three squad cars and a helicopter turned up. I think 'boys will be boys' was the sentiment that won out in the end.

Metacortex · 18-07-2005 04:13PM

pickarooney wrote:

it's the kind of action most boardsters seem to think appropriate for scangerbabies who do similar, so why not give it a shot.

Because its a bunch of children having a water fight.
Its hardly a bunch of scumbags throwing rocks at passer bys to cause harm on purpose.

YeatsCounty · 18-07-2005 04:17PM

I don't know, one day you're throwing rocks to defend yourself, the next thing you're selling your fifth child for another fix of heroin........

I'm glad that the law in that area is keeping this dangerous criminal where she belongs: away from her family. :rolleyes:

Zapho · 18-07-2005 04:26PM

Heard a similar case in America recently where an 8 year old brought a scissors to school to finish some art thing. Her teacher called the police, the child was arrested, and brought from the class room in handcuffs. She wasn't convicted but she was expelled from the school. Her parents response was that it may have been 'a bit excessive'.

I mean its one thing to have that happen, but then to have the parents not kick up a fight and simply say "its excessive"? That country has gone to the freakin dogs!

EDIT: Oh yeah, she didn't actually use the scissors in a threatening mannor, or in anyway that could be considered threatening. It was simply that she was in posession of a "deadly weapon"

pickarooney · 18-07-2005 04:30PM

Have you a link to that last story? Are you sure there wasn't at least a bit of aggro involving the scissors?

BaZmO* · 18-07-2005 04:33PM

I actually had to check the date to make sure it wasn't April 1st.

What is it with some authorities with matters like this? It's like they have the "Common-Sense" button switched off or something. Surely at some stage one police officers could of just realised that it was just kids mucking about and given the girl and the boys a warning and then had a word with the parents. Too simple/sensible? Maybe.

B.

Berger · 18-07-2005 04:34PM

Got a link? Sounds pretty dodgy to me.

RuggieBear · 18-07-2005 04:36PM

pickarooney wrote:

Have you a link to that last story? Are you sure there wasn't at least a bit of aggro involving the scissors?

http://www.google.co.uk/search?lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=scissors%20to%20school

monkeyfudge · 18-07-2005 04:38PM

Berger wrote:

Got a link? Sounds pretty dodgy to me.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4689459.stm

Zapho · 18-07-2005 04:38PM

Here's the link.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-12-13-scissors-arrest_x.htm
Looks like a got 1 or 2 details wrong!

pickarooney · 18-07-2005 04:46PM

RuggieBear wrote:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=scissors%20to%20school

Wow... at least the child is better off away from that nuthouse of a school.

MooShop · 18-07-2005 04:51PM

that country is really screwed up, i mean anybody would excuse a young girl trying to defend herself against a group of lads throwing water balloons at her. what the **** is the world coming to, they should be using their squad cars and helicoptors to catch real criminals.

Peteee · 18-07-2005 04:53PM

Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them!!!

RobertFoster · 18-07-2005 06:36PM

I'd consider water baloons to be a deadly weapon too. You could drown, or worse still, choke on the baloon itself!

Naos · 18-07-2005 06:55PM

Or.. You could attempt to dodge them and run into a moving car. Nice.

If we are to play it all up to the extremes of course.
America has to cop on. A lot.

gonker · 18-07-2005 08:06PM

http://www.dorunda.com/news2004.htm
some good stories on it....The one where the people were arrested for not leaving a tip is good.

Tar.Aldarion · 18-07-2005 08:10PM

did the same thing to my brother when was young,thank god he didn't press charges

SingingCherry · 18-07-2005 08:11PM

I remember being little and throwing rocks at boys and the lazy cops sitting there laughing that this little girl sticking it to them. It looks like if I did it 13 years later I would be doing 25 to life...

Sleipnir wrote:

I don't think Americans are capable of having a laugh anymore.

Oh, we are. I, for one, am laughing at the way my countries judges a "felony". An 11 year old ... being an 11 year old and getting arrested for it is almost laughable.

Sparky · 18-07-2005 08:16PM

cops in america, what a laugh, probably didnt want to get shot at so often, so lets get some kids.

senario
highschool 1
13 year old paul brings a real gun into school and then decides to use it for a real life killing spree, what happens 3 kids get killed and 2 teachers die, where were the local cops???
answer: local cops were attending another school where little mary aged 6 was found carrying a weapon while on school premises on two occasions she used it, firstly on the bus and secondly in class, this weapon was confiscated, it was a knitting needle.

The cops should be going after real criminals

MorningStar · 18-07-2005 08:23PM

Has everybody failed to notice that somebody called the cops in the first place. The cops arrived in force for a reason. If the neighbourhood had been that bad nobody would have called the cops. There has to be more to this story.

Cops can over react but the initial over reaction was the person who called and something they said made the cops arrive in force. It could be just racisim but maybe there is more to it.

My recent arrest favorite is the 4 year old arrested in a school for not doing what the teacher said. There is a video of it and you just wonder who rang and then who videoed.

Son_of_Belial · 18-07-2005 08:33PM

Holy... That's a bit heavy-handed now in all fairness. You'd think they'd just let her off with just a warning at most! Just think as well, under the "Three Strikes You're Out" policy if she does it twice more (not likely!) she gets put away for 25 years to life! Total madness. Clearly, the California Police have damn all better to do then terrorise 11-year-old little kids. Or should I say the FBI no less. If she was charged with a felony, the Feds get involved. I have to say, I wonder is there a race thing in there... Maribel Cuevas... There's a nice Spanish name... Fiver says if it was a white kid from up in The Hollywood Hills area she'd get sent to her room and grounded for a fortnight. :rolleyes:

Cake Fiend · 18-07-2005 08:36PM

Just to play the devil's advocate, what do people think should have happened had the nine-year-old boy been killed by the rock? Shouldn't the girl learn that civilized society doesn't retaliate to water balloons with rocks to the head? It's one thing arresting 8-year-olds for bringing scissors to school, but this is a case in which real, actual loss to life could potentially have occurred.

Guy:Incognito · 18-07-2005 08:38PM

Sleepy wrote:

I wonder would they have responded as fast had the girl been armed with a semi-automatic? Something tells me now...

If you knew some guy with an assault rifle was around the corner, would you leg it round all guns blazing?

Metacortex wrote:

They're having a laugh surely?

They probably didnt know it was a little girl who threw a rock at another little kid, I'd imagine they got a call about a violent assault and jumped in. I'd appreciate that level of response if I was being attack by a gang of people for instance.

Sico wrote:

Just to play the devil's advocate, what do people think should have happened had the nine-year-old boy been killed by the rock? Shouldn't the girl learn that civilized society doesn't retaliate to water balloons with rocks to the head? It's one thing arresting 8-year-olds for bringing scissors to school, but this is a case in which real, actual loss to life could potentially have occurred.

It's only recently that its been an issue, years ago throwing rocks wouldnt be a big thing.

Maybe kids just cant take a rock to the head like they used to

Son_of_Belial · 18-07-2005 08:39PM

...but it didn't...

Sparky · 18-07-2005 09:02PM

Stekelly wrote:

If you knew some guy with an assault rifle was around the corner, would you leg it round all guns blazing?

I suppose if i was playing medal of honour, then yes, but the thing here is if i die theres always a reset button

Thing is with america, kids playing to much video games, although people say dont blame the games, and there right, these games are for 18+, so blame the parents, americia is now really paranoid

Capt'n Midnight · 18-07-2005 09:22PM

Luckily she wasn't in Palestine..

California girl, 11, charged for throwing rock

Comments