Smashing Pumpkins should be a punishiable crime...

[furluvcats]

We do up the holidays! Our house got voted the best Halloween Haunt in our neighborhood, lastnight for Halloween spooks and scares...unfortunately, some punk kids from next door, ravaged our yard, stole our 107 lb uncut pumpkin and reg. sized jack-o-lantern, smashed it and left its guts all over the street....ours, along with other neighbors pumpkins...the neighborhood was littered with pumpkin guts spewing all over our streets...the kids did this with loud death screams and peels of laughter, so loud, that it took us running from inside our house, and another neighbor, a street away, heard it at her house and came over to see what was up...we saw the culprits hop in their car and my son chased them down the street, while my husband jumped in the car and proceeded to chase them via car chase until they hit speeds over 100mph! I called the police, and the policeman came, as neighbors gathered around outside very late lastnight. We successfully identified the hoodlums who did it, but the police said since pumpkins were perishable, a judge would throw it out of court...he left a note on the kids door and told him the pumpkins had all better be cleaned up off of our streets by the time he drove back by in the morning...and the boy had returned and cleaned it up before we went to bed...

My beef is that kids should not be allowed to small pumpkins...its vandalism, and we spent alot of money buying a pumpkin that large, in hopes of keeping it whole through all of fall and some of winter for our fall yard decor...And my daughter cried...she had never been able to have such a large pumpkin and it was special to her...I was upset over the little one, bc my son carved and cleaned it totally by himself...and what about the other families who lost their pumkins? The little kids who woke up to find their pumpkins gone...

I wish the kid could be held accountable for what he did. He always does really bad stuff, but never enough to get punished by the law...how unfair...we're afraid of vandalism to our cars next...people should not live in fear of their dumbass teenage next door neighbor...

Anyone else have a smashing pumpkin story?

For all you teens out there, I certainly hope you never smash someones pumpkins or think its funny...its totally destructive and wrong!

[therock1811]

Nope. NOT FUNNY.

As far as smashed pumpkins, I can't give you a story about that. Last year, the night before Halloween, our house got egged. My brother Mark said Saturday night he was going to keep watch out there, and I guess he did because nothing happened this year.

[Stephanie]

I always thought it was such a shame when I would see smashed pumpkins in the street each year. It's something that happens year after year and it's just plain disrespect. They were STUPID in my book to be hootin' and hollerin' as they were doing it and creating such a rackus with the car. Usually, you never see who did it. I'm glad that the police offer left a note to say that he wanted to see the mess cleaned up by morning and that the kids at least did that. Hopefully the embarrassment of being caught will prevent them from doing that again!

[CajunMama]

Awww Furry....I know how proud you were of that big pumpkin.

Is there anyway you and your neighbors could meet with the juvie and his parents? Let them know what their precious child is doing...and what else he has done?

[george_r_1961]

When I was a kid back in the old days our pranks werent destructive. We would get our hind parts tore up by our parents if we did. Seems with kids today there is a definite lack if discipline.

[streetsoldier]

I remember that happening when I was a kid...they not only smashed our pumpkins, but one year there were some very well-carved ones, painted and opaque for candles, in the city newspaper.

The morning after Hallowe'en, TWO of these pumpkins were found by me, ON our porch and stomped into mush by some local kids; who obviously went out of their way to get them (from Clayton, just west of STL; I was in Florissant, north STL county) and do this.

We'd just moved there, and we were the ONLY "non-German ancestry" family in the neighborhood.

[furluvcats]

Kath, we've talked to the kids and parents continualy...we broke up their band practice, had them clean up all their beer bottles and cans from our yard and all over the neighborhood, also had them wash the street after they drew huge genitalia of both sexes all over the streets in chalk...etc etc etc...we always go to the parents...unfortunatly, they are the type that are afrraid of their kid, would never dream of disciplining him for his behavior, and are seldom even home...People like that should not BREED! This boy could have possibly turned out to be a respectful law abiding citizen, had he been born to parents who cared...

That stinks Bill...what a set up...my question for you is...What did you DO about that? lol

[vbhoutex]

I am surprised that he hasn't been put in juvie yet for some of those "pranks" which I call wanton destruction of property and littering and underage drinking. Call the authorities next time there is a band practice and you know they are drinking.

[furluvcats]

Well David, thanks to Brian, the band "broke up" several months ago...we won on that one! And you can BET we WILL continue to call the police every single time the kid disfigures our neighborhood or bothers us!

[vbhoutex]

Well David, thanks to Brian, the band "broke up" several months ago...we won on that one! And you can BET we WILL continue to call the police every single time the kid disfigures our neighborhood or bothers us!

I wish more people in thsi country would be "proactive" like you guys are. We'd have a lot fewer problems imo.

[alicia-w]

i'm sure a pumpkin that large wasnt cheap. got a receipt? i would file criminal charges for vandalism and destruction of private property. if that doesnt work, file a civil suit to reclaim the cost of the pumpkin and damages. that's not a frivolous lawsuit; it's a way to make these punks accountable.

[furluvcats]

That is a good point. Yes, we have a receipt on the pumpkin, and we thought of doing this, just to make a stand, even though the officer says a judge would throw it out, simply because it was a perishable item...

It just infuritates me that people think they can walk into your yard, your private property, and take something that does not belong to them, and then destroy your personal belongings right in plain view of your house...its total disrespect, and meanspirited.

[Stormsfury]

First, I thought you were talking about the band Smashing Pumpkins ...

We do up the holidays! Our house got voted the best Halloween Haunt in our neighborhood, lastnight for Halloween spooks and scares...unfortunately, some punk kids from next door, ravaged our yard, stole our 107 lb uncut pumpkin and reg. sized jack-o-lantern, smashed it and left its guts all over the street....ours, along with other neighbors pumpkins...the neighborhood was littered with pumpkin guts spewing all over our streets...the kids did this with loud death screams and peels of laughter, so loud, that it took us running from inside our house, and another neighbor, a street away, heard it at her house and came over to see what was up...we saw the culprits hop in their car and my son chased them down the street, while my husband jumped in the car and proceeded to chase them via car chase until they hit speeds over 100mph! I called the police, and the policeman came, as neighbors gathered around outside very late lastnight. We successfully identified the hoodlums who did it, but the police said since pumpkins were perishable, a judge would throw it out of court...he left a note on the kids door and told him the pumpkins had all better be cleaned up off of our streets by the time he drove back by in the morning...and the boy had returned and cleaned it up before we went to bed...

This is flat out wrong ... it's simple. it's trespassing, vandalism, and an invasion of privacy ... and if the judge throws it out, that judge needs to be thrown out of office ... just another in a long line of reasons why the justice system is diseased ...

I'm NOT promoting this, but will inform everyone that one has a right to protect life and property, even if it means using potentially violent force ... it may seem ridiculous, but with many career criminals, the little things progress into bigger crimes ... seeing that the little arses pull it off before, they think they can again ...

From experience, if someone enters your property w/out your permission, and you feel that you are in danger, you have every right to use whatever means necessary (including self-defense killing) to do so ... you MUST at least fire a warning shot (towards the ground)...this is something that most people do not have the heart to do, but I do ... and with my bitter taste left in my mouth with the justice system in the county I live in, I trust it about as much as trusting ENRON with my money.

My beef is that kids should not be allowed to small pumpkins...its vandalism, and we spent alot of money buying a pumpkin that large, in hopes of keeping it whole through all of fall and some of winter for our fall yard decor...And my daughter cried...she had never been able to have such a large pumpkin and it was special to her...I was upset over the little one, bc my son carved and cleaned it totally by himself...and what about the other families who lost their pumkins? The little kids who woke up to find their pumpkins gone...

I wish the kid could be held accountable for what he did. He always does really bad stuff, but never enough to get punished by the law...how unfair...we're afraid of vandalism to our cars next...people should not live in fear of their dumbass teenage next door neighbor...

The kid will either 1) end up in jail ... or 2) shot dead ....

Anyone else have a smashing pumpkin story?

For all you teens out there, I certainly hope you never smash someones pumpkins or think its funny...its totally destructive and wrong!

(For the teens, and anyone that thinks that such things are harmless pranks... many people think the way I do, and think of the consequences before you act upon destroying something that does NOT belong to you...

Thanks for sharing your story, furry...

SF

[alicia-w]

looks like the larceny law could apply here:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=00001-01000&file=484-502.9

Looks like disorderly conduct could be another one. if there were two or more involved, see 407:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=pen&group=00001-01000&file=403-420.1

Crimes Causing Harm to Property
Whether a crime against property is charged as a misdemeanor or a felony often depends on the value of the property taken or damaged. For example, a person who diverts funds that he or she received to pay for labor or services, by willfully failing to pay for the labor or services, commits a misdemeanor if no more than $1000 is involved. However, if $1000 or more is involved, the person commits a felony.

Other crimes involving property are misdemeanors regardless of the value of the property or the amount of money. Extortion, which is defined as either taking property with the owner's consent or using force or fear to make a public official do an official act, is a misdemeanor. Most of the trespass crimes are misdemeanors. It is unlawful in California to:


Cut down, take, or destroy a person's timber

Take a person's soil

Enter upon another's land where oysters or other shellfish are growing or take the oysters or shellfish

Tear down a fence, gate, or sign, including a highway sign or notice

Wilfully dig up, injure, or flood a public or private highway, road, or bridge

Build a fire on another person's land

Enter a person's land to injure the property

Enter a person's land for any purpose if the land is enclosed or signs are posted forbidding trespass

Drive on another's land without consent

Refuse to leave a public building, a hotel or motel, or private land

Ski in a closed area
Other crimes against property constituting misdemeanors include injuring, disfiguring, or destroying public works of art, improvements, or monuments. Digging up an ornamental tree on a sidewalk, for example, constitutes unlawful behavior. Numerous provisions of the Penal Code regulate the sale and possession of aerosol paint containers capable of being used to deface property. It is a misdemeanor for a minor to purchase aerosol paint. It is a misdemeanor for anyone to sell or even furnish an aerosol container of paint to a minor. It is a misdemeanor for any person to carry an aerosol container of paint on his or her person in plain view in certain public areas, or to possess with the intent to commit graffiti or vandalism an aerosol paint can, drill bit, glass cutter, chisel, or felt tip marker.

http://www.weblocator.com/attorney/ca/law/c12.html#cac120400


At a minimum you have trespassing, theft or larceny, destruction of private property, and possibly disorderly conduct.

Your city also has a curfew law:

The City has adopted a curfew ordinance 9.12.020 and 9.12.030 (a) - (f) to control loitering by persons under the age of 18. This makes it unlawful to loiter, idle, wander, stroll, play or be present upon public or private streets, roads, drives, alleys or trails; any public or community park or recreation area; any public ground, place or building; or any vacant lot or abandoned or vacant building between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and sunrise of the day immediately following.

If you dont live in the city limits, check your county laws.

this kid is a piece of work. nothing a little buckshot in the butt couldnt fix

[furluvcats]

Gosh Alicia, I really appreciate the time and effort you put into investigating the ca law on this issue...thank you! I just may persue this!

Stormsfury...you give a great warning to potential pranksters as to what can happen to them if they vandalize the wrong person! Thanks for your post.

Furry

[alicia-w]

no problem. i'm a research geek!!