The cops and K-9 were patrolling our neighborhood last night!

[hearts and roses]

First one cop came to the house and asked if we had heard any screams. Hmmm,, no. difficult child and E were over last night and we were watching YouTube videos as I baked, we were laughing our asses off and wouldn't have heard a thing!

He was vague and said, 'There was an incident on the street next to the side of your house' .... Us: What kind of incident? Cop: We think domestic.

Well, he lied. About 45 minutes later, a cop from the town next door, with his k9 and a state trooper came up our back lawn. They elaborated on the story and why they were out there:

Seems a local girl (15 yrs) ws walking home and she claims that a white male all in black jumped out of the woods and held her at knifepoint and tried to rape her. She said she was able to fight her way out of it and run home.

Okay, I know I may sound ridiculous, but I swear to you...where we live, this just doesn't happen. Yes, I am doubting the story from the get go. So as the k9 cop is talking he says it's the house next door to us, which is about 500 feet away through the woods. I know this family. Their only daughter is 15 and they're a fairly keep to themselves type of family. I don't know them well, but at that age? Hmmm, it struck me a wee bit difficult child-ish. Maybe she fabricated this story to deflect the attention away from something she may have gotten in trouble for, like smoking or drinking?

difficult child asked me, and this is rich, lol, 'Why would anyone lie like that?' I nearly fell on the floor laughing my ass off. I just looked at her and finally she said, 'Right, never mind.' lololol.

About 45 minutes later another cop comes to our door, this one was from the water district metropolitan police-they know the terrain and trails through the woods. He asked us all the same questions and took our names. He said even though they question the girl's story,they had to investigate.

No word this morning on what, if anything, came of it.

An aside: when difficult child was speaking with the k9 cops (from another town) about a local kid who fit the description, he turned to here and asked our house number. After she told him, he asked her if there was a kidnapping Internet related incident at our house!! Omg, poor difficult child stumbled through her 'yes' and when she came in she was clearly shaken. She needed a Xanax to calm down. I mean, WTH? I'm so upset they asked her about that, why not me? Hello? he told her he was only asking in case it was related since her assaulter is out of jail and may be in the area for retribution. Seriously, I want to call them and blast them for saying that!

 

[buddy]

oh gosh people are so insensitive sometimes.

 

[Hound dog]

Jo

It may be possible that her attacker is out for retribution..........or just out to look for another victim. It's obvious due to what the cops said, that they're considering it a possibility. From the man power you're describing, I'd say a fairly strong possibility. True he probably should have just said something to you about it, but odds are true concern caused him to say that to difficult child.

Just because that sort of thing doesn't happen around there, doesn't mean it can't. I'm sure what happened to your difficult child isn't common there either.....or anywhere else for that matter. But things like that do happen, even in small rural areas. I'd not be so apt to dismiss the girls story.

I'd be on higher alert if it were me, just in case. Not paranoid or anything, just keep aware of who's around ect.

Hugs

 

[buddy]

After I posted I came back thinking the same thing as Lisa. I dont know the story, must have happened before I got here but in any event if they knew about it, then it seems actually like good police work to be protective. I'd much rather they honestly track this guy down to see where he is registered (I assume he must be if he was let out) and if they know where he is.

Did it happen at you home? And of course there are many areas where things like that do not happen, until they do. There are also high school kids who do things like this to their girl friends, to anyone..etc. only takes one seriously disturbed person.

 

[donna723]

The first thing I thought was that this was a 15 year old girl who may have concocted a story because she was coming home later than she should have or something like that! Kids that age don't think of the repercussions of what they say, they just say whatever comes in to their head because they don't want to get in trouble!

Of course, if there is even the slightest chance that it really happened the way she said it did, they have to fully investigate it. These days you can't be too careful and I would be taking extra precautions too ... better safe than sorry.

 

[hearts and roses]

Well, despite my doubts we are, of course, being cautious. Our outside lights were on nearly all night. And I noticed our neighbors all had theirs on late s well. easy child came home around 1:30 am from babysitting and I gave her a heads up via text to be aware.

Buddy, my difficult child was lured off the Internet by a sexual predator when she was 15. The detectives were awesome and said there was no way to prevent it, as we had top notch security on our computer and Internet at that time. The guys expertise and difficult child's naivety made it the easiest crime. She met him down the street and he took her out of state to a Mets game and assaulted her on the way home. It was a horrifying time in our lives and it's a longer story but that's the gist of it. The guy went to jail and got out January 2010 to a halfway house till this past January2011. He likely lives back in his hometown, which is roughly 15 miles from ours under orders to have no contact with difficult child or our family. I do not think he is involved in this supposed incident as, why now? Why wait nearly two years? It doesn't make sense for him to risk going back to jail when he could find a new victim...and his method is via the Internet, not stalking and attacking.

That said, however, extra precautions are definitely in order. Thanks Lisa for making that point.

 

[buddy]

Sorry, I wasn't wanting you to relive that here. Really horrific and I am so glad she is safe now. Even though it was a while ago, one can't really get fully over that can they? I suppose knowing his m/o is good. Do people stick to their patterns? I dont really know about that, only what is on dateline or such shows. I really never doubted that you would be very cautious....Was just thinking aloud how scary it is. I of course hope this girl was not attacked, but hope she does come clean if not, she needs some kind of guidance even if it was just that she didn't think before saying such a serious thing.

by the way, I try to tell my niece and nephews that they can't be too careful, they put their phone numbers on at times when a friend asks and don tget that friends of friends can sometimes pass such things on. My niece would glom on to any attention and really believe someone who flattered her. Did you learn what to tell those of us with kids of that age now? No need to respond if it is too hard.

 

[Hound dog]

Buddy the only way to keep kids safe from internet stalkers/predators is direct supervision (and I mean sit right there) or keep them off the computer completely. My kids I reached a compromise. They had no computer privileges, they had no computers of their own either. The computer was mine and mine alone. However under direct supervision they could use it for school work. Of course they had a fit, it just did them no good. I don't think the computer is a good place for underage socializing to begin with.......and the years that have passed with what I've seen on fb ect do nothing to change my mind.

Jo, I just want you all to be safe. While most predators stick to the same MO, there are those that given time and circumstance can and do change tactics for whatever reason makes sense in their twisted minds. I'm more thinking if someone did come at this 15 yr old neighbor girl it's a different predator with a more in your face violent approach. With the chance of that type of person slinking around the neighborhood it's best to keep eyes and ears open and be wary. in my opinion females should always practice an extra measure of caution anyway.

Hugs

 

[hearts and roses]

Update: I called the police for any updated information and they confirmed it was a fabricated story and we have nothing to be concerned about.

Whew!

Buddy, I'm going to pm you.

 

[Hound dog]

Well thank goodness!!! whew!

 

[buddy]

So glad she told the truth, I hope she will get help now.

I only have one shared computer with Q and I use parent monitoring software, he is on no social sites but I did set up a facebook account for him, that I have the password to so he can only see it if I let him on it and we do it together.

My niece and nephews have to let all of us be their friends. But my sister controls their passwords too. they share one computer in the home. One hour each. We try, but it is really a scary thing, phones, dsi, any of those portable things that can get on the internet. And if they dont have them, they can use a friend's. I appreciate you guys having input, truth is we have to know where our kids are at all times, but they need some time to develop independence, and these folks are good, they can trick the smartest of kids.

I just feel so thankful your daughter is safe now. Breaks my heart that someone did that to her.

 

[hearts and roses]

Buddy, the thing is that we can be hyper vigilant and still, some loser can find a way,Know what I mean??

If we constantly watch over every little thing our kids do, we rob them of the experiences of being a kid and learning. We have to weigh it out, be cautious, but trust that those around us aren't as evil as the media would have us believe.

Of course, that said, because we have special needs children, the circumstances are slightly different!

 

[buddy]

Buddy, the thing is that we can be hyper vigilant and still, some loser can find a way,Know what I mean??

If we constantly watch over every little thing our kids do, we rob them of the experiences of being a kid and learning. We have to weigh it out, be cautious, but trust that those around us aren't as evil as the media would have us believe.

Of course, that said, because we have special needs children, the circumstances are slightly different!

yeah, that is what I was trying, ineptly to say. The fact is if there is a preditor out there, they will find a way and we can't really possibly do much more than our best to educate our kids and supervise. But the risk of them not fully being able to grow, by not ever giving chances to leave the house and go with friends.... It can't happen. When I was young my dad and some other guys befriended a guy down on his luck ...can't believe I am going here but....

He was allowed to sleep in the basement of a restaurant nearby. My dad would let him work on his car in our garage. One day he came to the back door and I was in my dancing clothes getting ready to leave. He asked for my dad. I said he is going to be here in a few minutes (I didn't really know when). He opened the door and came in. I asked him to wait a minute and went and got my phone and called my neighbor and his dad and they came over, I just felt scared. The next week he was arrested for killing two girls who had paper routes. He also went to Wisc and killed a family.

I will never forget him and he popped up on the news over and over thru the years. It was so scary. My dad had told him in the mean time that if he ever came in my house without him there again, he would get nothing from him.... I think that is what saved me. He needed my dad.

 

[TerryJ2]

Oh, dear. I'm sure that the K9 cop never considered the ramifications of that question, in regard to how personal it ended up being. It was just an information seeking question, I would guess.
Just what you needed. Sigh.
Best of luck.

 

[witzend]

How sad that she would feel a need to tell such a fib!

 

[TerryJ2]

So, your hunch was correct.
That poor family.
I guess you could invite them to this board ...