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This is soooo wrong!

Quote:

From joy to heartbreak
Toys' disappearance ruins dying boy's birthday
By ALLAN TURNER
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
Steven Rael's 13th birthday was the best day of his life -- for three whole hours. Then the joyous day went heartbreakingly sour.

Here's the story the way Diane Lewis, Steven's mom, told it. She choked back tears to get it out.

Steven's dying of cancer. It's eating at his bones and now it's moved into his lungs. Doctors didn't expect him to last much beyond his 11th birthday. So far, he's proved them wrong.

On Monday, the spritely birthday boy -- the youngest of five children born to Lewis and her fiancé, Jose Gonzalez -- got his wish: a three-hour shopping spree at a Toys "R" Us off FM 1960.

With store employees, friends, family and representatives of the Texas Wishing Well Foundation at his side, Steven made his way through the store, packing shopping carts with the items he liked. He started at 3:30 p.m and by the time he finished three hours later, Steven had filled five carts to the brim.

He picked a Play Station 2, DVD movies, computer games, a bike.

The value of the toys as well as donations made by other well-wishers came to about $5,000, Lewis estimated -- more than her family ever could have hoped to spend. Lewis works only in the home. Gonzalez, a construction worker, hurt his back and is awaiting surgery. Without Texas Wishing Well's help, Steven's birthday celebration wouldn't have been as grand.

"He told everyone it was the best day of his life," his mother said. "You had to be there to see his face. There was happiness and joy."

As family and friends milled about outside the store, taxi driver Cedric Edmonson, 25, helped load the boy's presents into his cab. "He hugged me. He cried. He said he was so sorry for what Steven was going through," Lewis said of the driver. "He told me he hardly could wait to meet Steven."

After that, Steven and his folks and a few others climbed into the shiny, silver Hummer that Santos and Rose Matos, owners of a Spring hair salon, brought to chauffeur the boy in style. With the cab bringing up the rear, they entered late-afternoon Beltway 8 traffic en route to the family's West Airport Boulevard apartment.

After a while, other cars pulled between the Hummer and the cab. And what happened next is a matter of unpleasant question.

"We got home and the cab didn't come," Lewis said. "It didn't come in half an hour. It didn't come in 45 minutes." In fact, it didn't come at all.

Finally, Texas Wishing Well head Frank Willis reported the cab missing. "The other cabdrivers began looking for it," Lewis said. "They didn't know whether he'd been in an accident. They finally stopped him -- one pulled in front and the other in back -- and made him stop."

The cab's rear was empty.

Details of the stop are uncertain. Citing privacy and legal restrictions, the cab people won't talk about the incident. The episode crossed police jurisdictions, and Houston Police Department spokesman John Cannon said it is unclear in what manner city officers were involved.

What is certain, though, is that Edmonson was transported to Harris County Jail on four outstanding warrants, including allegations of writing bad checks and failing to appear in court.

Liberty Cab Co., for which Edmonson works as a contract driver, said in a prepared statement that the driver claimed he had been hijacked and the presents stolen. Liberty Cab has pledged $3,000 to help replace the missing presents.

Edmonson was released from county jail late Tuesday after posting bond. He was not initially charged in the toy theft.

While the toys' fate has yet to be determined, Lewis and her son blame the cabdriver.

"We just couldn't believe it," Lewis said. "Why would someone do this to Steven? Don't they have a heart?"

Steven is taking the blow as well as he can, his mother said. "Someone asked him what he would tell" the person who stole the toys, Lewis said. "He said he never wants to see him again. He should stay away. He's a monster."

link

That's just wrong on ALL levels. the guy is like the grinch, expect he stole the poor kid's birthday. what an evil bastard!

They should let the kid torture that dude until he gives up where the toys are.

Unbelievable.

Just when you think humanity couldn't sink any lower...

I vote for public stoning. I will throw the first stone, sinner or not.

i cant believe some people can be so cold hearted...Time to bring back the Lynch Mob

Jesus fuckin' Christ.

How can you be that evil?

Sad
I will stop bitchin' this very moment.

And there is nothing you can do this man to teach him about his heartlessness,
just put him in jail
harm or death would just put us at his level.

Hopefully, the news about this will make more aware,
and the boy will get his gift and then some,
and hopefully help the family out a bit.

The shameful thing is children are in these situations everyday,
and people do these type of things everyday.
It's enough to make you numb.
But maybe this time, a little more caring & sharing will happen.

In the end, no matter what
there is Hope.

Time for a major league ass whupping

On a happier note, the owner of the taxi company immediately wrote out a check for the value of the stolen toys.

Nice to see someone taking responsibility.

damn, even I wouldnt steal toys from a kid with cancer...

This was unbelievably heinous enough to make the front page of the fourth largest city in the nation's newspaper this morning.
Here is some of the latest info:

Quote:

Edmonson (the cab driver) was arrested on outstanding warrants. The cab company felt so badly that the company has decided to furnish a check for $3,000, because the most important thing is that this child gets both his toys and his wish.

The cab driver does have a felony theft record. He is not yet charged in this case, but is still in the Harris County Jail for other outstanding warrants for writing bad checks. Edmonson claims he was held up at gunpoint Monday night. But he never bothered to call the police.

Quote:

Originally posted by txlovely
This was unbelievably heinous enough to make the front page of the fourth largest city in the nation's newspaper this morning.
Here is some of the latest info:

the story is from the houston chronicle ;)

Hopefully they are a few people waiting for him in jail to explain that somethings are out of order and he needs to be taught that this is one of them.

That is so sad

put him in jail and let him rot

Quote:

Originally posted by Arc101
Hopefully they are a few people waiting for him in jail to explain that somethings are out of order and he needs to be taught that this is one of them.

This is true...he's going to get the shit beat out of him in prison.
They take anything dealing with kids seriously.

STONE THAT BASTARD!!!

Seriously though, that's just not right. How could anyone..

:( hope more ppl help him out

Within the bowels of hell a special place awaits those who have no soul.

yeah- most of the time lynch mobs wind up killing the innocent- and are just a bad idea- this time though- hell, does anyone think this guy needs to keep breathing- it will cost us, what, $ 30,000 per year that he's locked up- fuck, its about $.50 for a realy nice 9mm bullet.......(it should be noted that I spent my 13th birthday on a cancer ward watching my dad die from bone cancer, so I may be slightly biased- cancer sucks.)

On a somewhat insensitive note, he wouldn't have been able to enjoy the toys for long anyway.

Quote:

Originally posted by User Name
On a somewhat insensitive note, he wouldn't have been able to enjoy the toys for long anyway.

YOU DESERVE TO TAKE A RIDE IN THAT TAXI.

Yes, jail will be hard for that guy. The screws will let the appropriate prisoners know what they need to know. The rest is a forgone conclusion.

Mn that is one bad run of Karma coming up on someone.

man, what a fucking asshole.

surely he KNEW he'd be caught.

this is soooo wrong indeed! i'd like to punch that guy in the face.

Quote:

Originally posted by Snakebyt
i cant believe some people can be so cold hearted...Time to bring back the Lynch Mob

I second that. The Lynch Mob was so much better than Dokken.

As for the ripoff guy. Well,...he'll get his one day

Man....that person is so fucking horrible....at least he's getting some sort of compensation....

Quote:

Originally posted by Holo
I vote for public stoning. I will throw the first stone, sinner or not.

And I will throw the second one. This is absolutely horrible. It is just beyond me how anyone could do this at all.....let alone to a child who is dying for God's sake. I am just appalled. :(

Quote:

Originally posted by User Name
On a somewhat insensitive note, he wouldn't have been able to enjoy the toys for long anyway.

SHAME ON YOU FOR SAYING THIS!

innocent till proven guilty.

as horrible as this is why couldnt someone go in the cab with the driver and 5000$ worth of stuff?

or better yet eliminate the cab and take the stuff with them ?

I vote for having someone in the cab as well. No excuse for the cabbie's behavior (if, in fact, he stole the stuff), but why give him such a golden opportunity.

I know that I'm a cynical bastard, but I couldn't help it. . . I laughed my ass off when I read this story. Its sad. Its wrong -- in every way that it could be. . . but its still kinda funny.

*ducks while you all throw the proverbial rotten tomato

taliendo

I didn't want to be the first to say it... thanks.

It is absolutely terrible. It is inexcusable. The cab driver is a horrible person. But something about the whole situation is humorous. Maybe it's one of those defense mechanisms that make us laugh when something is so bad that we can't comprehend it.

The kid did get reimbursed $3,000, and they were just toys... it's very wrong, but it is kinda funny.

Yeah, that's bad. What a childish and insensitive act!

As I read that I was thinking to myself that it has to be a hoax, but once I read more of the thread I found that it's not and that has me just sitting here wondering just how much lower a person can get.

Some people just don't understand kindness. That guy is not only incredibly stupid, he is almost not human.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

The cabbie is a complete tool for stealing toys from a defenseless kids. How could he have possibly thought that he could get away with this mess?

The whole situation is completely absurd.

Sure, lock his ass in jail - but what you have to do is make the guy wear a special shirt that says "I'm an ass who steals from dying children."

I don't think the taxpayers will have to foot the tab for his 3 squares for very long. Lots of inmates have kids, ya know.

Quote:

Originally posted by Gortexfogg
Some people just don't understand kindness. That guy is not only incredibly stupid, he is almost not human.

danger its always bad to dehumanize some one

like i said thorw him in jail

that's just too wrong for words.

Yep this guy is gonna get the shit beat out of him in prison. Inmates actually don't take too kindly to things like this, they're pretty much on par with the FBI when dealing with things that screw over little kids, especially kids with cancer (whoda thought, honor amongst thieves).

i cant believe that, wow its so terrible it almost makes you want to hit that guy

Wow...that is low. Extremely low. How would you live with yourself? Low.....low low low. Anyone got a mug shot for this guy? I'd like to print it out and piss on it.

MB

This guy's clearly an idiot, but there are still much worse scumbags out there. I just wish all of them get what they deserve. Hope he ends up with some real sweet cellmates.

He took the kid's toys, so we should take his, i.e. His balls.

i don't get it. what kind of person would be so STUPID as to think he could get away with something like this?? did he not think that the parents would ask, "where are the toys?"

thats horrible, people like that should be drug out in the street and shot!

I'm speechless, this is some pretty fucked up shit.

Let's hope he gets a nice cozy jail cell with Bubba "yor mouf sher looks purty" Jones.

I think the kid should get to stone the bastard!

Why do people bother committing crimes when they are 100% likely to get caught?

Insensitive, criminal bastard

That is a damn shame and the guy deserves to get beaten senseless. No room on this planet for his breed.

I DID wonder why the presents had to ride in a cab. If he got picked up in a Hummer, wouldn't the presents have fit? I ride in my friends Hummer occasionally and you can fit a lot of stuff in it.
My opinion of humanity keeps getting kicked in the nuts over things like this.

Unbelieveable. What a way to ruin the poor kids christmas :(

The guy is heartless plain and simple, I can't even begin to wrap my mind around this one.

:( :mad:
this kinda of stuff going on in the world just kills me.

Quote:

Originally posted by Holo
I vote for public stoning. I will throw the first stone, sinner or not.

I think this should be brought back. We could sell tickets to watch, and rocks to throw, and the proceeds are all taxes. Also, you should get a tax write-off for purchasing stones. Televise it, sell some advertising, have announcers, the whole nine yards.

This filthy shit (assuming he is guilty) will rot forever for this, but I don't let it get to me, because he will rot no matter how loudly I bitch about it. Great find, thanks for the story.

Quote:

Originally posted by glasscutter43
YOU DESERVE TO TAKE A RIDE IN THAT TAXI.

To be honest, I would have said the same thing... every cloud...

Break all his fingers......

Then break them again and agian each time they heal

thats bad so bad
if he was thrown in jail he wouldnt make it through the week

I'd hate to be within a hundred miles of this idiot when his karma account gets settled.

if the kid is gonna die anyway then he is entitled to know how it feels to serve an ass whoopin'.......

i say give the kid a bat and a ride to the cabbies house for consolation.

It's, interesting, but it's only one side of the story.

that is just too evil... what kinda fu**ed up person can even think of doing a thing like that?

i can't beleive that some people can sink that low...

i mean, its not like the kid has too much to look forward too, and taking what is given to him in the remaining time that he has is just heartless

hopefully that guy drops the soap a lot in prison, the asshole...he deserves everything he gets!

Wonder what made the cab driver to pull THIS stunt?
That's one dead man walking...

Quote:

Originally posted by seethreepo
as horrible as this is why couldnt someone go in the cab with the driver and 5000$ worth of stuff?

or better yet eliminate the cab and take the stuff with them ?

This is what I don't understand. The family was in a Hummer, which kind of puts the U in SUV. Sure the kid had 5 shopping carts but I think I can park my car inside a hummer.

Quote:

Originally posted by rsl12
i don't get it. what kind of person would be so STUPID as to think he could get away with something like this?? did he not think that the parents would ask, "where are the toys?"

This is the thing that makes the cabbies' story plausible. Not only has he got zero chance of getting away with stealing the stuff himself, the event was probably well publisised so the thieves whould know when to look for the cab. I'd like to see some follow up on wether they recover the stolen goods or not. And if so from who.

Let me at him for a few minutes, we'll find out just what happened to the presents...... Then we'll find out what happened to his thought process, as I pull his limited gray matter out of his ear for inspection