The original article goes a little more into depth
<a href=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/05/08/national0416EDT0482.DTL> Orig. Article </a>
I'm curious as to why the parents are beign held responsible at all, seeing as the child is a minor, couldn't they just take any money the were liable to pay him?