The suck is strong in this one...

[Kogarashi]

Thieving Family with Awesome Grandmother aside....

If I'd had to deal with that manager, I would've been on the phone with her immediate boss (and anyone else in the chain necessary) as soon as I got home again. That is completely irresponsible, especially to (apparently) mouth off to a police officer. She seriously needs a reduction in pay and possibly a demotion to boot (let's have her work the salesfloor!)

[iradney]

I second Kogarashi. That manager warrants a nasty letter to corporate (maybe with a backup statement from the police officers). I'm pretty sure not co-operating with the officer is something like obstruction of justice or something?

[Boozy]

Why wouldn't the manager allow you to use the phone? You asked politely and you were the victim of a crime. That seems odd to say the least.

I am also a little disturbed by the actions of the police officers. They know that absolutely no charges are pending against this child, as the OP declined to press any, and still they decide to put an 8 year-old in lock-up for an entire weekend?

[Ree]

R) Uh. Well could you please call the police? My car got broken into in the lot.
M) Where were you parked?
R) Huh? oh, by the garden center. Could you please call the cops?
M) No.
R) Wait...what?
M) *Turns to walk off*
R) Look, could you call the police? Someone broke into my car.
M) We're not responsible for anything that doesn't happen directly in front of the store. So I can't help you.
R) Uh, Garden Center...last time I checked, that is IN FRONT of your store...
M) Not my problem.
<snip>
They then said they needed to get the store's statement, since where I parked had a camera directed right at it.

Someone needs to remind that manager about the folly of paying for a security camera to monitor an area for which they aren't responsible.

They know that absolutely no charges are pending against this child, as the OP declined to press any, and still they decide to put an 8 year-old in lock-up for an entire weekend?

I still can't get past that one, either, no matter whether the little shit deserved it, or he was being taught a lesson.
It was supposedly done because the judge was away until Monday, but if no charges were being pressed, why would they have to hold him to see a judge?
I don't actually understand why a judge would need to release the child back into the custody of his grandmother if she was the one who brought him in to return the item, and, again, no charges were being pressed against the child. Wouldn't charges need to have been pressed against the mother in order to require a judge's order on custody of the child being given to the grandmother? In that case, it would be the mother who would be locked up for child neglect or some other thing. (She did let her 8 year old child roam the parking lot late at night and was willing to become an accomplice in his crime by allowing him to keep the stolen item.)
It would make much more sense if they had just picked the kid up off the street with the stolen merchandise, but the fact that the family came back in with the child doesn't really jibe with the actions of the police in this situation.

[Boozy]

It would make much more sense if they had just picked the kid up off the street with the stolen merchandise, but the fact that the family came back in with the child doesn't really jibe with the actions of the police in this situation.

Something else that just occurred to me is that this would be a very easy way to discourage parents from making their children do the right thing. Why would you bring your child into the store to make amends if you thought the Gestapo would then seize your child and remove him from your custody for a few days? Even strict disciplinarians would not be comfortable with their 8 year-old being tossed into jail without trial.

The more I think about this, the less it makes sense to me. repsac, are you sure you heard that last bit correctly? Is it possible that you misunderstood what the officers had planned for this child?

[Becks]

Wow.

So many aspects of suck in this story that I don't know where to start.

I'll just call it a -a-thon and move along.

[AnqeiicDemise]

Assumptions suck, I know, but the only plausibility I can think of is this:

Repsac and the cops agreed they needed to teach the kid a lesson (and the mother too for that fact)... what better way to scare them both crapless like SAYING they're going to hold the kid in jail for 48 hrs but end up holding him only for one.

I'm sure it was one of those "lets talk about how he's goign to be punished and trick him into believing it before saying "Next time, we won't be so nice!""

After all, that's what the cops where I grew up would do just to scare someone straight.

If they actually held him, it'd suck.

[repsac]

I think I'd been at the store a pretty good bit by the time they came back. It seemed like minutes, but talking with mum it may have been an hour or more. I spoke with a friend of mine yesterday about it, and he suggested that the hold wasn't so much to put him in RDC (Regional Detention Center *juvenile*) But might have been so DEFACS (DEpartment of Family And Children Services) could get someone on the case. For all I know he still could end up charged. I kinda hope he learns a lesson before hand, but I think it was Rick who said it best when we spoke. He said:

"What disturbs me is not so much that your gameboy was stolen. Nor that it was a child that did it. No, what really disturbs me is from what you've told me, is the fact that apparently the boy and his mother didn't see anything wrong in him doing that. I mean there's something wrong there mate. Something BAD wrong."

[BlaqueKatt]

it's too bad that charges can't be filed against the mother for anything... not wanting her kid to return it... from what I got out of the story not even that upset about kid stealing it... might not be illegal but is definitely criminal.

IANAL but that would probably fall under party to theft or accessory after the fact

[Primer]

Seeing as how we don't have all the details of what actually did happen to the kid and/or his mother, and we don't know if either of them had any priors, IMHO it's all moot. Personally, I think the kid AND his mother should have been held for the weekend, but that's just MY opinion.

[Ree]

Yeah, but I'm still trying to figure out how some 8-year old kid, randomly wandering away from a shopping trip with his family, found the perfect wire to break into the car.

[Becks]

Ree, maybe he keeps one on his person at all times.