Burglary Victim Calls Thief's Mom

Don · Jul 13, 2013

This would be an interesting neighborhood to live in, I bet.

A West Seattle woman who had a couple of item stolen from her car last month quickly discovered that the thief had inadvertently exchanged the loot for something of his: A black smartphone.

Scrolling through the list of contacts, Eliza Webb soon stumbled upon the alleged perp's mom and decided to give her a ring.

"This is a very uncomfortable phone call to make," Webb recalled telling the 19-year-old suspect's mother. "I have your son's phone and I'm missing some things out of my car and I think they might be two related items."

Long story short, this was about sneakers and sunglasses; the kids apparently hit 10 other unlocked cars in the neighborhood on a drunken spree.

Victim and hubby went to collect her stuff and offer a deal. If he and the other perp would return the stuff and apologize to all the victims personally, she wouldn't call the cops. That's how the deal went down.

Given these rather peculiar circumstances, did the victim have a good idea, or should she have called the cops?

Personally, I think it was well-played. YMMV.

ETA: Better story here.

Williebee · Jul 13, 2013

It takes a village?

I liked it. I hope it doesn't come back to bite her.

Don · Jul 13, 2013

Williebee said:
It takes a village?

I liked it. I hope it doesn't come back to bite her.

The second link has some feedback from the kid. I think he may have gotten "scared straight" in a nice way.

Fran · Jul 13, 2013

Don said:
Long story short, this was about sneakers and sunglasses; the kids apparently hit 10 other unlocked cars in the neighborhood on a drunken spree.

The car was unlocked? The car was really unlocked? From an insurance point of view she had no leg to stand on. I think she did the right thing as a human being, though, so fair play. My evil motor claims advisor in a previous life claws came out for a second there.

dfwtinman · Jul 13, 2013

Williebee said:
It takes a village?

I liked it. I hope it doesn't come back to bite her.

Yeah.

Reading this made my eyes start blinking. That is because right now, in this moment, I need to feel just the tiniest bit more hopeful. I want to believe in compassion. In redemption. And yet I know that on another day my eyes might simply have rolled.

Given the odds, if there is never a postscript to this story that will be just fine by me.

missesdash · Jul 13, 2013

"Drunken spree"? Drunk people steal your ipod at the party or steal out of your car after you accidentally leave it unlocked and they stumble into it thinking it's their own.

Drunk thieves forget to cover their ass. I'm sure him and his friend have stolen from other people. These aren't middle school kids. They're college aged adults. I think she should have at least publicly identified them to discourage them from doing it again. This only discourages them from leaving their phones in the cars?

But I think it worked out well for her in these circumstances. I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable calling up friends and family of someone who had just robbed me. She's lucky he was a dweeb and not someone dangerous.

Burglary Victim Calls Thief's Mom

Don

All Living is Local

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

Don

All Living is Local

Fran

Slate grey mole person

dfwtinman

Cubic Zirconia in the rough

missesdash

You can't sit with us!