Police: 11-year-old scares intruder away with shotgun

[lostinblue 1,989]

Police: 11-year-old scares intruder away with shotgun

LAPEER COUNTY, MI (WNEM) -

An 11-year-old girl used a shotgun to scare an intruder away from their home.

The 11-year-old was home alone when a vehicle entered the driveway. The individual knocked on all the doors and then forced entry into the residence, the Lapeer County Sheriff's Department said.

The child hid in a bedroom closet with a shotgun, police said. The bedroom and the closet were eventually forced open by the suspect.

The 11-year-old aimed the gun at the suspect and the suspect fled from the residence, police said, adding the child was not harmed during the incident.

"Her father is an avid hunter, she is familiar with weapons and inside that closet is where the gun case is," Detective sergeant Jason Parks said.

The sheriff's department responded to the house on Five Lakes Road in North Branch Township just before 4 p.m. Friday.

The suspect's vehicle was located in Imlay City, about 30 minutes after the incident, and stopped by Imlay Police, Almont Police Department, Michigan State Police and Lapeer County Sheriff's deputies, police said. The occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody.

James Wasson, 53, of Detroit, and Rhonda Steward, 31, of Detroit, are in custody at the Lapeer County Jail. They are charged with first-degree home invasion, second-degree home invasion, and burglary tool possession.

Wasson is also charged with receiving and concealing stolen property valued between $1,000 and $20,000, felon in possession of a firearm and firearm with commission of a felony.

Detectives say the two have hit 25 to 50 homes since December.

"Due to this little girl, her keeping her composure, she was able to observe and articulate what she saw. It definitely made a huge difference in this case and because of that ability, people are in custody," Parks said

Read more: http://www.wnem.com/story/28004023/police-11-year-old-scares-intruder-away-with-shotgun#ixzz3QeX1kQjV

[luckytxn 2,265]

Bravo to the girl and will say a prayer for her.

[GandD 5,966]

Leaving an 11 year old home alone is a thing now? Yes yes, it worked out this time. But I hope the parents learn their lesson

[lostinblue 1,989]

Leaving an 11 year old home alone is a thing now? Yes yes, it worked out this time. But I hope the parents learn their lesson

Most states don't have laws stipulating how old a child needs to be to stay home alone. So the decision is left up to the parents' judgment. It's pretty obvious to most parents that a 5-year-old is too young to be left alone in the house. But what about an 11- or 12-year-old?

Most experts say that by age 10 or 11, it's OK to leave a child alone for short periods of time (under an hour) during the day, provided they're not scared and you think they're mature enough to handle it. But you may want to wait another year or two before leaving them alone at night.

Take these factors into consideration when making the decision about whether to leave your child home alone:

• Do you live in a quiet rural or residential neighborhood?
• Does the area have a low crime rate?
• Do you have an alarm system? Does your tween know how to operate it?
• Can your child understand and follow basic rules, like locking the door after coming inside and not opening it for strangers?
• Has your child shown good judgment in past situations?
• Do you have friends, family members, or neighbors who can get to your house quickly in case of an emergency?
• Has your tween shown signs of responsibility in the past? Examples include finishing homework on time without having to be asked and doing chores around the house.
• Is your preteen comfortable with the idea of staying home alone?

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/home-alone-or-watching-younger-siblings

[GandD 5,966]

Most states don't have laws stipulating how old a child needs to be to stay home alone. So the decision is left up to the parents' judgment. It's pretty obvious to most parents that a 5-year-old is too young to be left alone in the house. But what about an 11- or 12-year-old?

Most experts say that by age 10 or 11, it's OK to leave a child alone for short periods of time (under an hour) during the day, provided they're not scared and you think they're mature enough to handle it. But you may want to wait another year or two before leaving them alone at night.

Take these factors into consideration when making the decision about whether to leave your child home alone:

• Do you live in a quiet rural or residential neighborhood?
• Does the area have a low crime rate?
• Do you have an alarm system? Does your tween know how to operate it?
• Can your child understand and follow basic rules, like locking the door after coming inside and not opening it for strangers?
• Has your child shown good judgment in past situations?
• Do you have friends, family members, or neighbors who can get to your house quickly in case of an emergency?
• Has your tween shown signs of responsibility in the past? Examples include finishing homework on time without having to be asked and doing chores around the house.
• Is your preteen comfortable with the idea of staying home alone?

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/home-alone-or-watching-younger-siblings

That is a good dig blue. There's a lot of ifs in there and they suggest no more than an hour during the day in a low crime area. I don't recall if my parents ever left me home alone at that age but they did let me wonder the neighborhood with friends for hours on end. Which is certainly more dangerous. I would think though, and I would hope you agree, that an 11 year old having to defend themselves with a weapon from an intruder is not a desirable situation. Even if in this case, the lack of a gun could have made things much much worse. However, I think things would have been much better if a parent had been the one defending the house with the shot gun.

[lostinblue 1,989]

That is a good dig blue. There's a lot of ifs in there and they suggest no more than an hour during the day in a low crime area. I don't recall if my parents ever left me home alone at that age but they did let me wonder the neighborhood with friends for hours on end. Which is certainly more dangerous. I would think though, and I would hope you agree, that an 11 year old having to defend themselves with a weapon from an intruder is not a desirable situation. Even if in this case, the lack of a gun could have made things much much worse. However, I think things would have been much better if a parent had been the one defending the house with the shot gun.

The article mentions that the police arrived at around 4 pm . Perhaps the girl arrived home at say 3:30 from school . Parents arrive home from work at 5 pm . There are 12 year olds that do baby sit at this age. . The men broke and entered the home .She did not let them in .Children all over America today come home with out any parents in the house . The men fled because a gun was used to protect the child . The perps entered the home to rob it . Things could have gone well beyond that . 2 men and an 11 year old child . alone .

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

The outcome doesn't justify the situation imo.

[Dakine10 5,452]

Fortunate that she wasn't hurt. The guy who broke in also was charged with firearm possession. Had he chosen to use his weapon, there may have been a different ending.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Fortunate that she wasn't hurt. The guy who broke in also was charged with firearm possession. Had he chosen to use his weapon, there may have been a different ending.

Yep.

[JohnR! 5,495]

The parents are strong contenders for the Darwin Awards...

Leaving an 11 year old home alone is a thing now? Yes yes, it worked out this time. But I hope the parents learn their lesson

[decocker 7,198]

Leaving an 11 year old home alone is a thing now? Yes yes, it worked out this time. But I hope the parents learn their lesson

my kid started staying home alone after school at 10. when he was nine he went to taekwondo afterschool program that cost about $450 a month. f that.

The parents are strong contenders for the Darwin Awards...

hey now.

[luckytxn 2,265]

Kids should be safe at home. Luckily this kid had means of protection. I almost wish I could have seen the Socialist scums face when he opened the closet door and saw the weapon pointed at him.

my kid started staying home alone after school at 10. when he was nine he went to taekwondo afterschool program that cost about $450 a month. f that.

hey now.

[decocker 7,198]

Kids should be safe at home. Luckily this kid had means of protection. I almost wish I could have seen the Socialist scums face when he opened the closet door and saw the weapon pointed at him.

that's so dumb it's funny.

[JohnR! 5,495]

In the end, there is only one question we really need to ask ourselves:

'Is our children learning?'

:rofl:

• Do you live in a quiet rural or residential neighborhood?
• Does the area have a low crime rate?
• Do you have an alarm system? Does your tween know how to operate it?
• Can your child understand and follow basic rules, like locking the door after coming inside and not opening it for strangers?
• Has your child shown good judgment in past situations?
• Do you have friends, family members, or neighbors who can get to your house quickly in case of an emergency?
• Has your tween shown signs of responsibility in the past? Examples include finishing homework on time without having to be asked and doing chores around the house.
• Is your preteen comfortable with the idea of staying home alone?

[lostinblue 1,989]

Lapeer County Sheriff Detective Sgt. Jason Parks called the girl a 'protector of her home' and said she was responsible and calm during the break-in last week.

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The girl pointed a 12-gauge shotgun that she uses for frequent hunting trips with her father (file photo)

'She was able to defend herself from an intruder and resolve an event even most adults would be taken aback by.'

Parks said the shotgun belonged to the girl and that she was 'familiar' with it, as she uses it often to go hunting with her father.

He added that the girl, whose parents had not yet returned home from work, showed she was capable of 'making sound, good decisions' and had demonstrated she was more than able to stay home by herself.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2939607/Girl-11-hides-bathroom-closet-scares-burglars-shotgun.html#ixzz3QoAU82Gv
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