Posted on 10/24/2013 1:25:05 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Manuel Parga paid a high price for two candy bars worth 89 cents from two decades ago.
The Little Havana man was about to land a new public housing apartment but failed the background check because he missed a court date back in 1991. He was supposed to appear there because of the chocolate he admits he stole from a Miami store.
Parga needs a new home, saying that his efficiency in the heart of little Havana is too small and too cold.
It turned out that there had been a warrant out for his arrest for more than two decades – and the county's public housing agency denied his application.
“We would run across this often with people who thought they had resolved their cases in the ‘80s or early ‘90s,” said Parga’s defense lawyer, Eduardo Pereira. “Now they’re older citizens and they’re running into problems with Social Security benefits or with disability issues.”
The crime happened back in 1991 at a downtown Miami store that doesn't even exist anymore. Parga admits he stole the two chocolate bars, was charged with a misdemeanor – and believed that his case was dismissed. But it wasn't.
Parga said he had the money to pay for the candy, but didn’t “for play, for play, you know,” he said, laughing.
But it turned out to be a big mistake for him, he said.
Along came Pereira, who cleared Parga's criminal record and cleared the way for him to move into a new home.
“Mom or dad, grandma or grandpa, could be arrested on something that they would have been given a ticket for but because there is this warrant in the system, they are taken into the jail because the officer won't have discretion,” Pereira said. “So it’s important, once you find out about things like this, to get help right away.”
So?
In these days of massive incompetence and corruption by our ill-educated congressdorks, just why are we supposed to care about this?
Parga needs a new home, saying that his efficiency in the heart of little Havana is too small and too cold.
Too cold in Miami??
Too small? A single guy??
give me a break.
He should have thought about that before he stole that candy bar, and skipped the trial.
Actions have consequences, sometimes even years later.
Freakin' midgets are thieves no matter where they come from.
It shouldn’t be too cold, but I have seen some very small one room apartments, some as small as 64 sqft.
So, that part is possible.
Can’t do the time, don’t do the crime...
On the one hand, I don’t have a lot of sympathy for the guy as by the looks of him, he must have been in his 40’s or 50’s when he shoplifted for a “little play, play”.
On the other hand, everyone in public housing is (legally)stealing from the taxpayers. Why should they ban this one crook, while letting all the others stay?
So seeing if one could get away with shoplifting was a game to some people?
-PJ
Too Cold?!?!?!?! It's Frickin' Miami!
http://media.nbcmiami.com/images/175*98/Manuel+Parga.jpg
He just wants a better apartment and taxpayer’s to help pay for it.
They can dig up a warrant from 20 years ago and play games with a man but they can’t catch any of the MILLIONS of illegals who are breaking laws every day?
i work in a law office, and we get calls like this from time to time... someone wants to a new job, and they go through a background check, and find out they have outstanding tickets... some that should have been taken care of, but because of a mistake or a glitch, it’s still in the system... but more often because the person never bothered to pay a fine, take care of a traffic ticket or appear in court...
>> “So seeing if one could get away with shoplifting was a game to some people?” <<
.
In the Bay Area we had a state assembly woman / wife of a judge, swipe a $2500 dress, and she just got a spank on her wrist.
-PJ
>> “They can dig up a warrant from 20 years ago and play games with a man but they can’t catch any of the MILLIONS of illegals who are breaking laws every day?” <<
.
Now if he were a 400 pound lesbian with a tattooed wooden leg there wouldn’t have been any problem.
What is the Florida statute of limitations on misdemeanor theft, of missing the court date for it? I’’m pretty sure it is less than 22 years.
Apartment too cold? In Miami??
It helps to be connected
Looks like the GOPe is just necessary back-up for Dems in trouble.
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