Abducted Child Found Safe
About 9:00 this morning, a child here in Manatee County was abducted from his school bus stop at gunpoint.
It was apparently a random choice. This child happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The abductor, who shall be known here as the SOB, stopped his pickup at this bus stop, got out and pointed a gun at this boy and ordered him into the pickup. The boy (who I will not name because not all facts about just what happened to him have been released) reportedly said that he didn't know the SOB and didn't want to go with the SOB. He finally did go with the SOB, but thankfully was found several hours later.
Apparently, the SOB tied the boy up and left him in a building on a farm here in the county. The boy was able to free himself of his bonds and found workers on the farm. They allowed him to use a cellphone to make a call. I haven't heard whether he called his parents or the police, but it wasn't long before he was reunited with his frantic family.
I was out and about during part of the time the boy was missing, and believe me, I was looking for pickups that matched the description of the one involved in this act. I stopped for lunch and another customer mentioned that the child was safe.
I work at the Central Jail, and I hope to all that's Holy that when this SOB is found and arrested, he not be placed in the pod I work in. The chances are that he will be in protective custody for his own safety. I don't have contact with the inmates, but I do interact with them. I'm not sure I could be civil to him and treat him as I would other inmates. It's the reason I don't go looking to find out what these guys have been charged with. This is a time when I'm better off not knowing certain things.
I can't tell you how angry I am at people who think they have the "right" to do whatever the hell they want. This SOB, for some reason thought he had the right to abduct this young boy. I have no idea what he planned to do with the child, but I'm sure, since it was at gunpoint, the SOB didn't plan on taking him to Disney World for the weekend.
Why do people think they have the "right" to abduct kids, break into our homes, steal our identities, our material possessions, and our feeling of security? How about just running red lights, and cutting people off in traffic. Not to mention all the other things that people think they have the "right" to do. Yeah, I know, without people like this, I'd be out of a job. Believe me, I can find other work.
About, oh, 20 years ago, I was living with my parents. It was a week or two before Chirstmas. My parents went to a meeting at our church. I was supposed to go to the same meeting, but we were having a party at work the next day and I needed to make a dish for the party, so I begged off and went shopping. My parents left a little later.
I got home first. I brought my stuff into the house, started working on whatever it was I was taking to work, then went into the living room. I noticed a few things were out of place, but didn't think too much of it. I went into my parents room and saw things weren't as my mother would have left them. When I went into my room, I knew something was wrong; things were on my bed that I hadn't left out. I was still in denial, hoping without thinking it that there was a reason for all this. When I went into the bathroom, I couldn't deny it anymore: the window screen was folded nearly in half and laying in the bathtub.
By this time, I had been through the entire house and knew there was no one else in the house. Since my parents were due home shortly, I waited, still hoping there was a rational explanation for what I found. When they got home, I found out there wasn't, so I called 911. A deputy, who I happened to know, arrived and took a report and fingerprints. There really wasn't alot he could do.
A few weeks later, there was an article in the paper about a criminal who had been arrested for a series of break-ins. The article, as I recall, was basically about this poor guy who had a drug problem. He broke into houses, basically because the homeowners made it easy for him. For instance, leaving bathroom windows open.
Leaving the bathroom window open? That's how the guy got into our house! I talked to a detective and found out he had admitted to breaking into our house. And, as I was coming in the front door, he was going out a window in the back of the house. Apparently, we made it easy because the bathroom window was left open.
Excuse me? We were at fault because this creep didn't make the right choices in life? One being to NOT break into our house? We should live in a world where everyone can leave their doors (and windows) standing wide open and not worry that someone is going to come in and steal from them. Kids should be able to wait at a bus stop without worrying that someone is going to abduct them. People should be able to walk down the street at any time of day or night without even thinking that someone would harm them in any or form.
We should be able to fly without concern that people would hijack the plane or blow it up; work in office buildings without worrying that planes will fly into them or use explosives to blow up the building.
I know we don't live in the world of my fantasy and that nothing is perfect, but wouldn't it be nice if we could at least live in a world where our kids could be safe going to school?
It was apparently a random choice. This child happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The abductor, who shall be known here as the SOB, stopped his pickup at this bus stop, got out and pointed a gun at this boy and ordered him into the pickup. The boy (who I will not name because not all facts about just what happened to him have been released) reportedly said that he didn't know the SOB and didn't want to go with the SOB. He finally did go with the SOB, but thankfully was found several hours later.
Apparently, the SOB tied the boy up and left him in a building on a farm here in the county. The boy was able to free himself of his bonds and found workers on the farm. They allowed him to use a cellphone to make a call. I haven't heard whether he called his parents or the police, but it wasn't long before he was reunited with his frantic family.
I was out and about during part of the time the boy was missing, and believe me, I was looking for pickups that matched the description of the one involved in this act. I stopped for lunch and another customer mentioned that the child was safe.
I work at the Central Jail, and I hope to all that's Holy that when this SOB is found and arrested, he not be placed in the pod I work in. The chances are that he will be in protective custody for his own safety. I don't have contact with the inmates, but I do interact with them. I'm not sure I could be civil to him and treat him as I would other inmates. It's the reason I don't go looking to find out what these guys have been charged with. This is a time when I'm better off not knowing certain things.
I can't tell you how angry I am at people who think they have the "right" to do whatever the hell they want. This SOB, for some reason thought he had the right to abduct this young boy. I have no idea what he planned to do with the child, but I'm sure, since it was at gunpoint, the SOB didn't plan on taking him to Disney World for the weekend.
Why do people think they have the "right" to abduct kids, break into our homes, steal our identities, our material possessions, and our feeling of security? How about just running red lights, and cutting people off in traffic. Not to mention all the other things that people think they have the "right" to do. Yeah, I know, without people like this, I'd be out of a job. Believe me, I can find other work.
About, oh, 20 years ago, I was living with my parents. It was a week or two before Chirstmas. My parents went to a meeting at our church. I was supposed to go to the same meeting, but we were having a party at work the next day and I needed to make a dish for the party, so I begged off and went shopping. My parents left a little later.
I got home first. I brought my stuff into the house, started working on whatever it was I was taking to work, then went into the living room. I noticed a few things were out of place, but didn't think too much of it. I went into my parents room and saw things weren't as my mother would have left them. When I went into my room, I knew something was wrong; things were on my bed that I hadn't left out. I was still in denial, hoping without thinking it that there was a reason for all this. When I went into the bathroom, I couldn't deny it anymore: the window screen was folded nearly in half and laying in the bathtub.
By this time, I had been through the entire house and knew there was no one else in the house. Since my parents were due home shortly, I waited, still hoping there was a rational explanation for what I found. When they got home, I found out there wasn't, so I called 911. A deputy, who I happened to know, arrived and took a report and fingerprints. There really wasn't alot he could do.
A few weeks later, there was an article in the paper about a criminal who had been arrested for a series of break-ins. The article, as I recall, was basically about this poor guy who had a drug problem. He broke into houses, basically because the homeowners made it easy for him. For instance, leaving bathroom windows open.
Leaving the bathroom window open? That's how the guy got into our house! I talked to a detective and found out he had admitted to breaking into our house. And, as I was coming in the front door, he was going out a window in the back of the house. Apparently, we made it easy because the bathroom window was left open.
Excuse me? We were at fault because this creep didn't make the right choices in life? One being to NOT break into our house? We should live in a world where everyone can leave their doors (and windows) standing wide open and not worry that someone is going to come in and steal from them. Kids should be able to wait at a bus stop without worrying that someone is going to abduct them. People should be able to walk down the street at any time of day or night without even thinking that someone would harm them in any or form.
We should be able to fly without concern that people would hijack the plane or blow it up; work in office buildings without worrying that planes will fly into them or use explosives to blow up the building.
I know we don't live in the world of my fantasy and that nothing is perfect, but wouldn't it be nice if we could at least live in a world where our kids could be safe going to school?
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