a little late, but still hysterical
 

candy dispute leads to rampage

After providing his address, suspect hurls pumpkins at house, smashes bird feeder

Sunday, November 2, 2003

BY LIZ COBBS
News Staff Reporter


A 43-year-old Ann Arbor man was arrested in a bizarre Halloween night incident after police said he damaged the house of a woman because he believed she didn't give candy to his son, who was trick-or-treating.

Before he damaged the house, the man gave the woman a slip of paper with his address on it and told her to call police. Police said he then threw a small pumpkin through the front window, tossed a second pumpkin at the front door, and uprooted and smashed a bird feeder standing in the front yard.

Ann Arbor police said the incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. Friday in the 2900 block of Lake Hurst Court where the man was taking his son trick-or-treating.

According to the police report, the child went to a house where a resident was passing out candy. The boy, about 5 years old, returned to his father, crying, and said the resident didn't give him any candy.

The father went back up to the front door of the house to confront the homeowner. Police said the woman told the man that she had given the boy candy. The father and his son left, but they returned a few minutes later.

The man approached the woman and handed her a piece of paper that had his address written on it. The man told the homeowner, "Call the police." He then threw the pumpkins and smashed the bird feeder.

A neighbor heard the commotion and came to see what was going on. As the father headed toward a large potted plant, the neighbor yelled at him to stop. Heeding the neighbor, the father stopped and left the property.

The father took his son and went home. He was there when police arrived.

Officers arrested the man on a charge of malicious destruction of property. He was released on his own recognizance. He has not yet been arraigned.



(734) XXX-XXXX. *edited by cynthetiq*

This is funny and all but I feel sorry for the guy. I have a young son and I also have a huge temper. If my son came to my crying that someone was mean to him I know I would be irate. Through anger management classes (I was an angry teenager :) ) and martial arts training I have found ways to control my anger but I can see where this guy was coming from. Blind range makes people do strange things.


I would suggest anger management classes, reparations to the homeowner, and some community service if I was the prosecuting attorney.

The article doesn't say why the woman didn't give the kid candy. I for one won't give kids candy who have no costumes. Jeans a plaid shirt and some shaving cream all over you is not a costume....

"Jeans a plaid shirt and some shaving cream all over you is not a costume...."


Why not?

I mean not everyone can afford to buy a sponge bob costume. Halloween is one of those times that you just do things to make kids happy. Why do they have to meet your standard of a proper costume? You would really send a child away in shame because you didn't think he worked hard enough on his costume?

she said she did give the boy candy...who are we to believe?!

At least the guy has enough sense that he knows his anger and warned her about it. This is just plain bizarre.

This should have easlily been resolved.

How many times have you had a group of kids come to the door and you give them candy?

Maybe she missed the little 5 year old because he got lost in the crowd. So the boy starts crying because he didn't get candy.

I bet the dad went up with a bad attitude assuming that his kid wasn't good enough for the lady when it was an honest mistake. But the lady probably gets agressive back because the father is being an ass.

If he would have went up and said. I think you missed giving my son some treats. She probably would have given him double.

So then all this happens because the father has his own issues. Beautiful.

Huh? What was that just now? What a freaky story. Seriously. That guy has some issues. "Dear Beyotch: I'm gonna throw vegetables at your house. Call the police now." WTF? Like that would have stopped him.

I don't get why he gave her the note.

i´m quite pleased we don´t have Halloween traditions like that over here.
i mean, i´d hate to feel like i had to give every child who came to my door lollies.
what if that little brat was rude, or had been harassing my pets or something.
and then to have some wanker father throwing vegetables at my house.
halloween, no thank you.

Well I don't know about everyone else but around here if you are home and want to give out candy, then you leave your porch/stoop lights on. If you don't want to give candy then you retreat inside, turn off outside lights and don't answer the door. People accept that either you aren't home or are not participating for some reason or other and I haven't heard of many malicious acts. Once in a great while you'll see a smashed pumpkin from some teens who were out but otherwise - nothing. We also have a curfew for the teens so they aren't out to cause problems that late.

joe100, you made an awful lot of assumptions of what happened at this house. The incident could be like how you told it, or it could have happened 100 other completely believable and interesting ways. The media often leaves out many important details or simply does not have to opportunity to get all the facts.

That being said, i believe this man's actions were completely out of line. It was unfortunate that this kid did not get any candy from this one lady, but is it worth criminal charges? I don't thiank so. Could they have just gone to another house that was giving out candy? Probably. But throwing pumpkins through windows is most likely not going to solve the problem and will definetly cost this guy more than even buying his son a whole bag of treats.

I don't think she deserved that whether she gave the boy candy or not. Its getting out of hand over here, if you dont give them loads of money (not even candy) you get eggs thrown all over your house.

Bloody kids.

Road Rage, Air rage, Candy rage??? WTF???? I bet this is the same type of father that would punch out a referee at his kids game because he doesn't approve of the call the ref made. I am sick of hearing parents like this. If you can't control your own bad behavior, perhaps you should reconsider bringing kids into this world. You are just breeding other bullies and self-absorbed hot heads!

10 bucks says the kid planned this all out.

Wow, smart 5 year old. Future world leader for sure.

:)