Posted on 01/03/2003 12:28:46 PM PST by Cagey
STOCKTON, Calif. (Reuters) - A 16-year-old northern California boy who posed as a probation officer to take 11 teenagers he had never met to a miniature golf course faces charges of burglary, auto theft and impersonating an officer, authorities say. The boy, whose name was not released, was arrested on Sunday morning after police stopped two carloads full of teens speeding recklessly down a highway and found him "decked out in his probation officer's uniform," Stanislaus County Sheriff's Deputy Tom Letras said. Letras said the boy, who was on probation for burglary, had allegedly broken into a county facility in neighboring San Juaquin County, east of San Francisco, during the night. He allegedly left wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with an official emblem, along with a badge and equipment belt that included handcuffs and pepper spray, carrying cell phones and driving a county car. Letras said the boy went in his uniform to the homes of 11 teens who were on probation and explained to their parents that he was taking them to an amusement center as a reward for good behavior. A 17-year-old girl apparently went with him back to the probation office to pick up another car. "Most, if not all, of the kids did not know him," Letras said. "He just pretended to be a probation officer and said he was taking them to Boomers. A couple of the parents did question him but they thought maybe he was on probation too and doing this as a reward." Letras said that when officers pulled him over, he stuck with his story. "He tried to claim he was a probation officer but they didn't buy it," Letras said. "Of course he looked very young." Letras said the other 11 teens were turned over to their parents and not charged in connection with the case.
LOL
"Hold muh beer 'n watch this!" PING....
If you want on or off this list, please let me know!
Did I miss any?
(I do have to admit a medium amount of admiration for the kid's chutzpah, creativity, and confidence. I couldn't miagine pulling this off as a high school sophmore.)
He was just turning his life around.
Catch me if you can was a great book, and it's the first thing that popped into my mind!
Meega, Nala Kweesta!
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