Posted on 11/03/2007 7:53:09 AM PDT by Bluestateredman
Cops: Stickup teen says he meant no harm By Jessica Fargen Saturday, November 3, 2007 - Updated 10h ago + Recent Articles + Email + Bio Boston Herald Health & Medical Reporter Check out the Jessica Fargen Making the Rounds blog. E-mail Printable (9) Comments Text size Share (5) Rate A Dorchester teen allegedly armed with a semi-automatic weapon walked into Stalex Pizza planning to rob the mom-and-pop shop Thursday morning, but he later told police he never intended to hurt the owner, a prosecutor said yesterday.
Gary Johnson, 18, is accused of robbing the Norfolk Street pizzeria and then shooting 45-year-old owner Mumin Manavoglu as the hardworking dad chased the teen down the sidewalk.
Johnson, a student at ABCD Academy, was ordered held on $250,000 bail yesterday in Dorchester District Court and pleaded not guilty to armed assault with intent to murder, armed robbery and firearm charges.
Manavoglu remains on life support at a Boston hospital.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley called the shooting a tragedy. Once again, an illegal gun has struck down an innocent family man, and once again a young man may pay for his actions for the rest of his life, he said.
Assistant District Attorney Cory Flashner said Johnson covered his face when he entered the store at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, flashed a gun, demanded money and fled with $60. Manavoglu was shot once in the head as he chased after him.
Johnson was arrested nearby after he dropped his outer layer of clothing and the weapon. In a taped police interview, Johnson admitted that he planned a robbery but did not mean to hurt Manavoglu, Flashner said.
(He said) he did not mean to shoot the person chasing after him, but he did not deny he shot him, Flashner said.
Johnsons family, including his parents, appeared in court to show their support. Lamont, 31, of Dorchester said his younger brother didnt carry a gun and didnt need to steal. Its shocking to the family, said Lamont, who didnt want his last name used.
Johnsons attorney asked for $10,000 cash bail saying her client had community ties and no defaults on his record. Johnson lives with his mom in Dorchester.
jfargen@bostonherald.com
Great comment from you and a stupid remark by the DA.
He probably is over six foot and looks like a grown man....can’t label him a teenager then show a pic that defies that image.
Doesn't matter. Eighteen is still the teen years. So is nineteen. It's just simple English.
“Doesn’t matter. Eighteen is still the teen years. So is nineteen. It’s just simple English.”
Technically, that is accurate. Show up at a “teen dance” at 19 and see what happens, though. ;)
I agree.
When I first saw the heading and read the word “teen,” my first thought was a young person. I know that 18 is a teenager. I also know that 18 year elders can vote and can join the military. For years, 18, 19, and 20 year elders have been doing their darnest to be allowed to drink.
As far as I’m concerned he may be a teen, he must still be charged for what he did as an adult.
It is an interesting statement. The gun is actually a legal gun (not an automatic or one that is defined as "assault"). What is correct is the possession of that weapon is unlawful by that individual.
If it is your goal to show that the problem of individuals committing crimes with weapons can be solved by sanctioning weapons, you must convince the population the weapon itself is the perpetrator.
Yes, I suppose in lib havens he could justify that plea by his hurt feelings and that he, told police he never intended to hurt the owner.
"Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley called the shooting a tragedy. Once again, an illegal gun has struck down an innocent family man, and once again a young man may pay for his actions for the rest of his life, he said.
Yeah, yeah. Once again a moron speaks for the liberals.
A second crime will be committed if they let this thug out on only $10,000 bail.
$10K bail for armed robbery and attempted murder - give me a break! Then we spend $200,000 and two years trying to track him down.
One of my sons-in-law teaches at a similar school in New Hampshire. It's a kind of last chance for these kids. At least some of them are liable to go to jail at any time. Risky for the teachers, too, but he does well, and I think they respect him.
If it's done right, it may make a big difference in the lives of many of these kids, but there will always be some who will screw up, like this one.
Still, it's worth giving them the chance. You can't just jail them until they choose that course.
This seems to be a common frame of mind. On “48 hours”, the true crime show, they showed the confession of a man who had shot a business owner in cold blood. He actually said that he didn’t think that “one little bullet” would kill him.
The victim is dead: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/11/03/pizza_shop_owner_dies_a_day_after_shooting/
“Poor kid, he didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”
Well, as I kept telling my kids as they grew up “actions have consequences.” It’s a shame this kid’s father did not. Now he had committed an action that will keep him in prison a long time.
And it does not matter whether he “meant” it.
Sickening. That DA should be fired on the spot. His comments are so idiotic, you’d have to be a Massachussettes native to fall for it.
FR *bookmark*
You are seeking to make an argument that you can’t support. 18 is still a teenager and an adult.
Some teenagers under the age of 18 are tried as adults but they are still teenagers.
There is much more meaningful information in the article than the arrestee being called a teenager. I think the D.A. spouting inane comments is more important.
“Johnsons attorney asked for $10,000 cash bail saying her client had community ties and no defaults on his record.”...These sack of crap lawyers put me on the floor every time!...great comedy act. I got community ties too, I buy gas at 7-11 also.
Well, guess he will claim he felt his life was threatened by the Pizza Shop owner chasing him. Which is why he took his undocumented gun and discharged it.
While the teen ager will get housing and medical the rest of his life (or hopefully at least most of it), I guess the shop owner will get a hefty bill to repair the damage the teenager did. At the very least, the citizens of Boston will be able to pony up to pay ALL the bills, then some bleeding heart lib wants to put him back on the street...That makes sense (I guess) cause he will have to ‘earn’ more money to get a big name lawyer....
Aww. Poor little tyke. Maybe the big, mean Massachusetts DA will show a little compassion and not take it to trial. Make the family of the guy who died trying to defend his life and property pay compensation for the gunman's hurt feelings.
Perhaps there is a Freeper subscriber who would care to do this. It's insane to subscribe to these liberal rags, paying them hundreds of dollars per year to tell lies and undermine our unalienable right to keep and bear arms.
I'm listening...
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