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Florida father arrested for beating alleged molester [FL]
tampa bay online ^ | October 26, 2009

Posted on 10/27/2009 7:34:54 PM PDT by stainlessbanner

DAVIE - The father of a 3-year-old allegedly molested by a family friend may get a harsher penalty than the alleged offender police say he and a neighbor severely beat.

Thirty-eight-year-old Luke Petruschke was so badly hurt in the weekend attack he had to be placed in a medically induced coma. Police say 27-year-old Manuel Vega and a friend tried to make it look like he was in a car accident.

The boy's grandmother says Vega is a good dad who just "lost it."

If he recovers, police say Petruschke will face charges of lewd and lascivious molestation.

Vega and 43-year-old Krish Carter were being held without bond on attempted murder charges.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: davie; florida; molester; petruschke
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To: GovernmentShrinker

The issue is not due process, but what process is “due”. The procriminal, antipunishment liberals have ruined the judicial system, partly by making the “process” unworkable. It cannot be relied on, nor can the police. Prattling on about “due process” and “rule of law” when we have virtually lawless government at every level and a dysfunctional judicial system is worse than naive.

If this father caught the perp in the act or saw him in the act, he did us all a favor. My point, however, is broader than this one case. You can’t expect people to rely for justice on a system that doesn’t work or that has redefined evil as “good”.


21 posted on 10/27/2009 8:59:54 PM PDT by achilles2000 (Shouting "fire" in a burning building is doing everyone a favor...whether they like it or not)
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To: Hodar

As Ed Harris said in Gone Baby Gone, it depends on who gets killed.


22 posted on 10/27/2009 9:04:17 PM PDT by gusty
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To: hometoroost

Yeah...
In charge of school safety or the like.


23 posted on 10/27/2009 9:07:46 PM PDT by Mom MD (Jesus is the Light of the world!)
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To: stainlessbanner

Two words: Jury Nullification. You can’t convict someone of ANYTHING if the jury says f-you to the charges. People should take out ads in the area to thoroughly poison the jury pool with that sentiment.


24 posted on 10/27/2009 9:09:45 PM PDT by montag813 (During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. -George Orwell)
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To: Hodar

My problem with what dad did is *did* the guy molest his kid?? What did he have to go on, did he catch him in the act or what? If the guy didn’t really do anything, then dad is dead wrong for going after him.

There were cases in the past - the McMartin school for one - where people were accused of horrific acts against children but the stories got so distorted and just plain out there that it really made no sense. Animal sacrifices and people flying in the air and a child being drilled in the arms??? There was another case involving a daycare where the kids talked about giraffes being there and a teacher playing the piano in the nude - all within a totally open room with only dividers in place.

It’s easy to react instinctively when a child is the victim. And if he did molest the child then I can understand dad’s rage and reaction. But *did* he do it?


25 posted on 10/27/2009 9:10:44 PM PDT by ktscarlett66 (Face it girls....I'm older and I have more insurance....)
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To: ktscarlett66

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/broward/story/1301691.html

A little more background. Apparently the guy has a couple of prior sex arrests although no convictions. Maybe there was something there after all. Have to say, if the evidence was against him in the case of this 3 year old, I wouldn’t be able to find dad guilty if on the jury.


26 posted on 10/27/2009 9:15:04 PM PDT by ktscarlett66 (Face it girls....I'm older and I have more insurance....)
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To: Morgana

yeah, why is that i wonder?

I told my husband i would NEVER move to florida....filled with peds.


27 posted on 10/27/2009 9:19:15 PM PDT by annelizly
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To: Hodar

Your point is of course well taken. Yes we must strive to be a nation of laws, not of men.

At the same time... As a peaceable citizen I simply don’t fear for myself or any of my neighbors any violence from the father that has extracted his own personal justice from the parasite that molested his precious little girl. Yes, he took the law into his own hands, and he shouldn’t have. In his situation though, I cannot say that I or many of the men I know wouldn’t have done the same thing.

But the end of it is this: the father did wrong, but he is no continuing threat to his community, as compared to the perp that he took care of. That parasite is going to be a permanent threat to every place he ever lives. The punishments should fit not just the crime, but the future threat. The molester is a massive threat. The father is no threat whatsoever.


28 posted on 10/27/2009 9:20:13 PM PDT by Ramius (Personally, I give us... one chance in three. More tea?)
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To: stainlessbanner
Let's contact the Gov. of Florida -- what's his name again? -- and request that he pardon the father.

NO cheers, unfortunately. None of this, including the precipitating event, should have happened at all.

29 posted on 10/27/2009 9:34:28 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: sonic109

Cheers!

30 posted on 10/27/2009 9:37:21 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: sonic109

A lot of guilty people aren’t found guilty due to technicalities plea bargains etc. I agree that the government has to be given first chance at justice though.


31 posted on 10/28/2009 5:22:33 AM PDT by freedomfiter2
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To: Ramius
But the end of it is this: the father did wrong, but he is no continuing threat to his community, as compared to the perp that he took care of. That parasite is going to be a permanent threat to every place he ever lives.

Now, if this happened to me, it would be solved with a couple 9mm shells (just to be sure). In Texas (God Bless Texas) I would simply state that I was protecting my family - and I'd walk. People in Texas understand the importance of family; and given a chance to give a man the benefit of the doubt, almost certainly will.

However, if I take a baseball bat and proceed to pound the perp to mush - well, a jury has no 'wiggle room'. The question would be "Why not take him in to a secluded area and torture him for weeks, then?" Whereas, simply pointing a weapon and alleviating society of a parasite would be faster, easier, permanent and more easily defended.

While I understand, and agree 100% with your point; the perception is that instead of correcting bad behavior by the means of torture (beating up); the correction should have been a faster and more permanent - that way a jury can, and likely would; be able to extend mercy under the name of justice.

32 posted on 10/28/2009 5:41:24 AM PDT by Hodar (Who needs laws .... when this "feels" so right?)
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To: GovernmentShrinker

I know of TWO cases of accused child molesting in my family alone that were wrong! Both a brother and a brother-in-law were falsely accused and later released. Both little girls lying about the molestations...to protect their respective FATHERS who were actually the molesters!

Good thing both my brother and brother-in-law are big guys that could well defend themselves in jail.

I can’t believe the comments on this thread that support vigilantyism! (is that a word?)


33 posted on 10/28/2009 7:53:11 AM PDT by Blue Collar Christian (><BCC>NRA)
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To: stainlessbanner
If someone molested my child, I'd beat them alright, but not to the point of death. I'd want them to live and be conscious enough so that they could feel the pain of their injuries.
34 posted on 10/28/2009 7:58:22 AM PDT by reagan_fanatic (Hope....Change...Food Stamps!)
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To: Blue Collar Christian
If he recovers, police say Petruschke will face charges of lewd and lascivious molestation.

I think the evidence against him must be pretty strong for police to be making a public statement like this, while the guy is lying in a hospital in critical condition. This clearly isn't just a case of a child who made a claim and a father who believed the claim and acted on the belief.

35 posted on 10/28/2009 8:11:58 AM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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Comment #36 Removed by Moderator

To: GovernmentShrinker

Maybe, maybe not. We can’t just go around beating people up, unless for real he caught or saw the guy do it, then, perhaps wrongly, I’d probably go along with it. Otherwise it’s not civil.

If you beat ME up falsely, then only God could protect you.


37 posted on 10/28/2009 1:27:33 PM PDT by Blue Collar Christian (><BCC>NRA)
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To: Blue Collar Christian

I basically agree but there must be some strong evidence here. It’s not clear what evidence there is besides this very young boy’s allegations, but police and a judge seem pretty convinced. Petruschke has recovered enough to be let out of the hospital, and he was booked immediately and jailed without bail, despite still being in bad shape from the beating. He has two prior arrests for molestation — acquitted both time, but that’s often due to inability or unwillingness of victims to testify. The judge must know more about his history to jail him without bail, if there’s no actual evidence that he molested this child.
http://cbs4.com/local/petruschke.davie.fondling.2.1273333.html

Also, someone at the home had already called police about the molestation, and they were on they way when a 911 call came in from a neighbor about the beating in progress.
http://www.examiner.com/x-15540-New-Orleans-Top-News-Examiner~y2009m10d27-Florida-father-beats-sons-alleged-molester


38 posted on 10/28/2009 3:52:22 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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To: GovernmentShrinker

All this information was not in the original thread. I must still say, with the information that was provided at the onset of this thread, many jumped at outlaw vigilanteism (still not a word?) foaming at the mouth, reacting emotionally like uncivilized heathen.

Isn’t emotional reaction what we criticize our liberal contemporaries of?

Let’s be grown-ups here and not some kind of virtual he-men who could put an ass-whoopin’ on anyone we saw fit for it, as long as we’re on the internet in our underwear.


39 posted on 10/28/2009 5:45:47 PM PDT by Blue Collar Christian (><BCC>NRA)
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To: Blue Collar Christian
as long as we’re on the internet in our underwear

Ahem! I don't know about you, but I'm in my PAJAMAS -- the venerable uniform of the vast MSM-humiliating right-wing internet conspiracy brigade.

40 posted on 10/28/2009 6:20:26 PM PDT by GovernmentShrinker
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