Posted on 09/05/2002 12:50:16 PM PDT by marshmallow
Behind the wheel of a stolen pickup truck, 8-year-old Anthony Mignano sped 70 mph toward his wish.
But the determined third- grader's reunion with his family went as fast as his drive.
In a matter of 14 hours, the boy swiped a pickup truck near his foster family's home in Twinsburg and, with his nose barely above the steering wheel, drove it 20 miles to Akron.
Then, after being caught Sunday night, he escaped from a county facility and walked almost a dozen miles to the Portage Lakes, where he was reunited with his father near his father's workplace.
``I want to come back home,'' the boy said Tuesday morning, sitting with his dad, Anthony C. Mignano, inside the gazebo on Copley Circle. ``I miss my family.''
But by afternoon Tuesday, Anthony and his 13-year-old stepsister, Alina -- who had escaped from the custody of the Summit County Children Services Board about a month ago -- were back at the agency.
Anthony's dad promised a fight to win back his children. CSB took the children in March because of allegations of sexual abuse and violence in the home.
Before he was returned to CSB custody Tuesday afternoon, Anthony smiled like a kid as he talked about his adventure behind the wheel of a stolen pickup truck and his escape from CSB.
The pale-skinned, blond-haired boy said he had grown unhappy at his foster parents' home on Chamberlin Road and decided to leave during the night Sunday.
``I wanted to see my family,'' he said.
Still dressed in pajamas, he said he packed his clothes and radio-controlled toy car, slipped through a window and walked down the street to the Chrysler Stamping Plant. His foster parents never knew he left.
Anthony said he checked two vehicles before finding the unlocked 1989 Chevrolet 1500 pickup truck. Under the floor mat was a single ignition key.
Anthony said he knew ``Route 8 takes you to Akron'' and he headed south. On the way, he leaned against the seat, stretching his foot to reach the gas. Barely 4 feet tall, he positioned the rearview mirror vertically so he could see better.
He said he never passed a police officer as he drove and he boasted that he struck only one thing, a mailbox that got in the way while he searched for the headlight switch.
Anthony, who said he wants to be a race driver when he gets older, said he traveled as fast as 70 mph on the freeway. He said he honed his driving skills in previous supervised practice runs in go-carts and the family car.
``It was fun, driving that truck down the street watching deers jump across the street,'' he said.
Anthony exited on Grant Street off the highway and took the turn wide, catching the attention of motorist Debbie Turner of Akron.
``I guess I took the turn too fast,'' he said.
Turner, stunned to see a child behind the wheel, gave chase and forced him off the road on East Miller Avenue. She then flagged down a police officer.
Anthony was less than a mile from his aunt's home.
``I was mad. I tried to get away, but she wouldn't let me through,'' he said. ``I was doing 80 and it was only 30 through there.''
While police declined to charge Anthony for stealing the truck or fleeing from CSB, the truck's owner, Chrysler worker Ralph McCartney of Newton Falls, has been issued a $168 ticket for leaving the spare key inside his truck, according to police.
`I just walked out'
Anthony was in county custody about 12 hours before walking away from the Edge Street campus.
``I just walked out,'' Anthony said.
Louise Miller, a CSB spokesperson, said the facility is not locked down and Anthony simply left while staff members weren't looking.
``He looked for an opening and managed to elude the staff,'' she said.
Miller said CSB officials are considering security measures to ensure Anthony and Alina don't leave again.
However, she said reuniting the children with their parents is not yet an option, despite a police investigation that failed to produce enough evidence to substantiate the sexual abuse claims.
Mignano's three children -- his son and two stepdaughters -- were removed from their home last winter when Alina alleged Mignano had molested her. The girl's 8-year-old sister now lives with her biological father.
Tuesday, the teen-age girl told the Akron Beacon Journal that she made up the abuse story because she was angry about being grounded.
``I want to be home with my mom, my brother, my sister and my dad,'' she said. ``That's all I want.''
Violence claims
Miller said the girl's abuse allegations were ``the triggering factor. But there were other issues. This is a violent home. There (is), for a variety of reasons, a lack of security for these children to be at home. There's more to it than the sexual abuse allegations.''
Miller would not elaborate on the violence claims. She said that a reunification plan is always the goal when children are temporarily removed from their home.
``We're working toward that direction,'' she said. ``Our focus is what is best for the kids. At this time, we're not ready to unify because we don't feel the kids would be safe at home at this point in time.''
Mignano has retained Akron attorney Joseph Gorman to represent him in his fight to win back custody.
``We're going to go through the proper channels and in the end, I'm confident that the Summit County Juvenile Court system will treat Mr. Mignano and his children fairly,'' Gorman said. ``My ultimate goal is simple: reuniting those children with their parents.''
Mignano said the county's interference has lasted too long, a contention he has tried to convey for months.
``It's a shame it took my son driving a pickup truck to bring attention to our case. We just want to be a family again,'' he said.
Phil Trexler can be reached at 330-996-3717 or ptrexler@thebeaconjournal.com
Miller said the girl's abuse allegations were ``the triggering factor. But there were other issues. This is a violent home. There (is), for a variety of reasons, a lack of security for these children to be at home. There's more to it than the sexual abuse allegations.''
Why do we think the people engulfed in the Salem Witch Trials were so ignorant and unenlightened when we are doing exactly the same thing today?
Since when is this a crime?
We regularly leave a spare key in the farm work truck. (of course we sort of secretly hope it will be stolen)
Yes indeed, it is much safer to let an 8 year-old sneak out, steal a vehicle, and drive 70-80 mph to get to his father.
< /sarcasm>
The idiots are running the aslyum.
While police declined to charge Anthony for stealing the truck or fleeing from CSB, the truck's owner, Chrysler worker Ralph McCartney of Newton Falls, has been issued a $168 ticket for leaving the spare key inside his truck, according to police.
Somebody get me straight-- where is it against the law to leave a spare key in your vehicle?
WTF!!!??!!?!??
Something is nuts here. The pickup truck owner had nothing to do with the social ills of the story, but he gets the fine. The county can't keep track of a young child who gets up and leaves at every opportunity , but no government hack gets disciplined? Isn't goverment great.
The angry square-jawed clipped-hair lesbians at CSB will never let him have his kids. I'll bet he hunts deer too.
That was dangerous, Ms. Turner.
You could have killed the boy.
I'd be inclined to charge Ms. Turner with something like reckless endangerment of a child.
Yeah, I know, many will say "The boy could've killed someone".
Perhaps...but perhaps not.
If I were his dad, I'd be mighty proud of him. The boy's got spunk.
Ah. Dad must be a gun owner.
Because there are no details of the case. A kid made up a story because she was mad at her parents. The state took the kids and now they won't give them back because they don't want to look like the fools they are for believing a childs unsubstantiated accusations. Now they are just holding on to the kids trying to fabricate some excuse to take them permanantly.
I know it sounds evil but this is standard operating procedure for government employees. Never admit to a mistake. Ruin families, reputations, lives, but never admit to a mistake.
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