"I was surprised at the depth of their skills, considering their age," North Precinct Detective Michael Malanaphy said. "They were sort of polished and professional."
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Maybe. Maybe not. Break into my house, dudes... |
Posted on 05/23/2004 1:33:25 PM PDT by Stoat
Police catch pre-teen burglars The three 12-year-old boys are accused in three crimes and are suspected of breaking into other homes in North Portland Sunday, May 23, 2004 MAXINE BERNSTEIN Three 12-year-old boys are accused of skipping school and burglarizing at least three homes in North Portland this month, stealing games and clothing and snacking on whatever they could find in the kitchens as they ransacked the properties.
At least two of the homes they targeted were those of children the boys did not like or had recent disputes with, police said.
"I was surprised at the depth of their skills, considering their age," North Precinct Detective Michael Malanaphy said. "They were sort of polished and professional."
Yet some of the homeowners did suspect that the intruders were young.
Janet Johnson, whose home on North Hamlin Avenue was broken into on May 14, said her first clue was that she found her lawn chair moved to the side of her home, beneath an 8-foot-high window where the screen was removed.
"They probably had to prop themselves up," Johnson said. "They trashed the house. They turned things upside down."
They stole her engagement ring, her wedding band, her husband's watch and other jewelry from the master bedroom, but they left other valuable items and took things children would want.
"We knew it was kids, because outside of the diamonds, they didn't take the camcorder, the TV or anything of value," she said.
What was stolen were three of her son's basketball jerseys, a collection of baseball cards, a PlayStation 2 and all of her children's video games,
Then there was the food.
"We had half of a pepperoni pizza from Pizza Hut on the counter in the kitchen. They ate all of it and left the crust laying around the house," Johnson said. " We found Doritos mashed into the carpet."
Their modus operandi at the Johnson home mirrored that of burglaries at two homes on May 19, one on North Columbia Boulevard and the other on North Willis Boulevard.
Police said the boys would hit the homes during the day. They used a shovel to break into the home on Columbia and entered the Willis Boulevard home through a basement window that one of the 12-year-old boys knew didn't lock from his past visits to the house, Malanaphy said.
In each case, they snatched mostly Nintendo games, a bicycle, kids' clothing and carried the stolen goods away in backpacks.
"They also took a bunch of food," Malanaphy said. "If they found like fruit rollups or candy or soda pop, they would consume that there or take it with them."
North Precinct patrol Officer Kathy Pahlke discovered the young bandits. She was taking a report on the North Willis burglary Thursday, and the homeowner's son gave police the name of a boy who had stayed at his house in the past and might have been responsible.
Pahlke tracked down that boy and found he had a twin, and the two lived with their grandmother, who was their guardian. The grandmother told police she had seen the boys returning home with games and other items, and she wasn't sure they were attending school.
Pahlke found some of the stolen goods in the boys' rooms, police said, and learned that the twins and a cousin would burglarize the houses together.
Malanaphy, who interviewed the three, said they told him they'd try to pawn many of the stolen goods. When asked how they could pawn things at their age, they said they would usually find adults hanging around pawn shops who would do it for them for a few bucks.
The boys said they sold two of the diamond rings stolen from Johnson's house to an uncle for $7. The uncle is on parole for robbery, Malanaphy said.
Johnson got two of her rings back last week.
"If I ever see these little hoodlums, I have a few choice words for them," Johnson said. "I'm glad they're caught and that at least I can go to sleep without worrying about someone coming into the house."
The boys last week were fingerprinted, photographed, accused of three counts of burglary and taken to the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center, where a counselor contacted their parents. Because of their age, they could not be held, Malanaphy said.
Other cases under study
Police suspect the three were burglarizing homes for more than a month and will work to connect them to unsolved cases. North Precinct police last week also arrested a 31-year-old felon, Eric Scott Mangun, in connection with multiple car prowls, Sgt. Doug Justus said.
With the four arrests, Justus thinks the precinct's recent rise in burglaries and car prowls may now take a dip.
Maxine Bernstein: 503-221-8212; maxinebernstein@news.oregonian.com
Hello Anna,
"Car Prowl" is Police Speak for breaking into automobiles and stealing whatever is found inside the vehicle.
Unfortunately, it's a crime that doesn't carry penalties that serve to reduce it's occurrence, at least here in the Pacific Northwest.
"I was surprised at the depth of their skills, considering their age," North Precinct Detective Michael Malanaphy said. "They were sort of polished and professional."
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Maybe. Maybe not. Break into my house, dudes... |
The grandmother told police she had seen the boys returning home with games and other items, and she wasn't sure they were attending school.
We have a saying in my family that is in reference for idiots like her. "If you don't do a good job of raising your kids, you will get a second chance to do it again with your grandkids."
The boys said they sold two of the diamond rings stolen from Johnson's house to an uncle for $7. The uncle is on parole for robbery, Malanaphy said.
She was probably fully aware of what was going on.
Crime runs in this family. All the suspects are related to one another, and to an uncle convicted of robbery.
Bad seeds come from bad plants.
Just wait for the neighborhood to bring race into this.
I'm not familiar with the racial makeup of this neighborhood, or of the racial backgrounds of the little perp twerps. How would race be brought into this issue?
"If I ever see these little hoodlums, I have a few choice words for them," Johnson said. "I'm glad they're caught and that at least I can go to sleep without worrying about someone coming into the house."
She must not have heard that the boys are already back on the street:
The boys last week were fingerprinted, photographed, accused of three counts of burglary and taken to the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center, where a counselor contacted their parents. Because of their age, they could not be held, Malanaphy said.
On the bright side, maybe she'll get her chance to tell those "few choice words" to them in person. No doubt the little angels will want to stop by and "apologize" for their rude transgressions.
I'm sure the parents of these children are pillars of the community, and must be proud to see their young felons following in their uncle's footsteps.
This is the story of a beginning, not an end, to a crime spree. Who says role models can't make a difference?
I'm not familiar with the racial makeup of this neighborhood
Have you paid attention to the police shootings? Ever time someone shot is black, Portland comes apart at the seams. During identical shooting of whites, nothing happens.
"While Portland is predominantly white, North Portland, especially the crime-ridden parts, is primarily black."
Thank you, that helps to put things in perspective. I am in Seattle but I haven't spent much time in Portland.
"Have you paid attention to the police shootings? Ever time someone shot is black, Portland comes apart at the seams. During identical shooting of whites, nothing happens"
Yes of course I've paid attention to the police shootings and the insane politics surrounding them; I merely wasn't aware of what the predominant race of the neighborhood was or what the race of the perpetrators were in this case.
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