Ding Dong Ditch Turns Violent. Arrests Made in the Burbs.

[Duncan]

This story is generating a lot of buzz in our local news. Some teenage punks in the suburbs did a ring and run at a McMansion. The guy who lived there ran out in his underwear, tackled the slowest kid and dragged him back to his house to hold him until the police arrived. The man who tackled the kid was arrested after the kid's father told the police he wanted to press charges. There are tons of juicy details but I'm running out the door.

Here's the original story:

Teen prank ends in scuffle, man's arrest
Homeowner charged after tackling teen he says trespassed at his home
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=952628#ixzz0uPabBb4z

Here's the update, which reveals that the father of the kid who was tackled is actually a somewhat bratty, formerly anonymous blogger:

A 'ding dong ditch' clickfest
The controversy over Delmar doorbell incident grows in the ether of the Internet
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=952723

Now get a load of all the comments on this story so far:

http://blog.timesunion.com/bethlehem/3375/delmar-prank-ends-in-scuffle-arrest/

P.S. this is the bullshit suburban town I grew up in.

[Cedar]

Ain’t no fun without the risk of getting caught.

[Vooch]

You mean the Father didn't wack the kid on his own ?

In my day - if you got caught you paid the consequences.....

[Innocent Byproduct]

The kids are assholes. The father of the 14-year old kid is a collosal asshole who is raising a second-generation asshole right now.

The laws of this country are meant to protect the weak and the innocent, not enable the assholes in their assholery. 

[nissan03]

The laws of this country are meant to protect the weak and the innocent, not enable the assholes in their assholery. 

http://kunstlercast.com/forum/index.php?topic=3653.0

 Like a fraternity, this class requires above all comity -- being in with the right people, giving the required signs that one is on the right side, and joining in despising the Outs. Once an official or professional shows that he shares the manners, the tastes, the interests of the class, gives lip service to its ideals and shibboleths, and is willing to accommodate the interests of its senior members, he can move profitably among our establishment's parts.

It would be interesting to know the 14 year old's arschloch "Father" employment or postition?  Or his saukerl "Mother"?

[kevinm]

You won't find many 14 year old boys who aren't assholes alot of the time.  But you're right, the father is a supreme asshole and Vooch is right - the father should have given the kid a few what-fors.  That would be how kids learn properly.

[Ro]

I don't think the police would bother to come if it happened here..

[mjcrites]

Seems to me like there are plenty of places in the country where a stunt like that could get you shot.  

I really hope they drop the charges against the homeowner.  

I noticed that in the comments people are talking about how the police should have arrested the kids.  Do the police really need to get involved in a ring and run?  If I caught kids doing something like that, I'd hope I could talk to the kids parents and figure out what to do about it without the police getting involved.  Those kids could mow my lawn, wash my car, and pull some weeds and we'd call it good.

[Duncan]

Yep. This story will be coming to a newspaper near you. It just went out on the Associated Press Wire:

NY man faces charges after tackling teen prankster
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5irkLnrWP2qglcxpGIr4FS0feOJJwD9H4837G0

And the kid's lawyer (the kid's lawyer???) says the charges won't be dropped against his tackler:

Teen's lawyer says charges won't be dropped
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S1663852.shtml?cat=300

[carstars]

And the kid's lawyer (the kid's lawyer???) says the charges won't be dropped against his tackler:

I think I smell a cash settlement from the homeowners policy. 

C

[mjcrites]

The kid has a lawyer?  That's just insane. 

This was a teenage stunt, not a crime.  The homeowner, while a little over the top,  was doing what homeowners do.  The kid that got caught should get laughed at for getting caught by an old guy in his underwear and all the kids should do a bunch of yard work as penance and that should be the end of it.  This shouldn't require police or lawyers.

[John H]

Kids, the moral is:  Always bring a rotund pie eater with you if you are going to do a stupid stunt.

[noodles]

Kids, the moral is:  Always bring a rotund pie eater with you if you are going to do a stupid stunt.

HAHAHAHA!!!!!

[mjcrites]

If this had happened when I was 14 the kid that got caught would spend the rest of his teenage years with the nickname "Speedy."

[JW]

Just like in Dazed and Confused with the mailboxes...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wkqGAsClO0