-Ricky
On Nov 8, 2004, at 12:25 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
In a message dated 11/8/04 11:26:14 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
I don't have much of a description to share, hence my hesitation to file a report (which I have done). It was dark and raining and the whole thing happened so fast. The only description I have is a young (teenager?) black male, medium to thin build, average height (around 5'10"?). I don't think he had any facial hair. Other than that, I don't remember any specific identifying features.
The point is that you've alerted the police now and they can be watching the area more closely, so that's a good thing, but I want to add a couple of additional thoughts.
1. If you had called the police right away, they might have driven you around and you might actually have recognized the person if he was still walking nearby. Though you hadn't seen his face well, you might have recognized his clothing, the way he walked, whatever. And even if that wasn't enough to convict him in your case, catching him might have helped the police solve some other case you don't know about, where the victim HAD seen the attacker better and would be able to pick your suspect out of a lineup.
2. Catching this guy for a minor crime, if he really is pretty young, might be a wake-up call to him and/or his family and could possibly influence the rest of his life in a positive way. As a mother of a young man, I can relate to the way your mugger's mother might feel about her son and how she might try to get him to take a different path. Maybe I sound too naive, but:
This past spring, my son was the victim of an attempted mugging by four teenagers while all were walking in Garden Court. They didn't get any money from him; he wasn't carrying any, but they threw a brick at him and he was so angry that he chased them! They split into pairs of two; he went after the leader & his companion. My son was dialing 911 on his cell phone and talking to the police while still running after the pair, and the police showed up almost instantly and arrested them! Several months later my son had to take a day off to go to court, where the two were convicted. BOTH had parents with them in court. BOTH parents apologized to my son and spoke to the judge about future plans for their sons. The judge worked with them to sentence the boys to rehabilitation programs. My son wasn't sure there was much hope for change for the leader, but he felt that the other boy may have been "scared straight."
I don't think any of us should try chasing a mugger; he could have a weapon! My son was lucky that his attackers only had a brick. But, DO call the police, and DO spend time with them looking for the bad guy if they ask you to. DO THIS FOR YOUR NEIGHBORS so there will be fewer victims. DO THIS FOR YOUR MUGGER, even! -- so he might realize that in this age of cell phones, mugging may no longer be the easy crime he thought it would be!
Melani Lamond (Not to be confused with Melanie Green, who wrote earlier about her friend who was mugged....)
