BALTIMORE -- The mothers of two boys accused of stealing bicycles said their sons should have been punished but not handcuffed by police and placed in a holding cell.
Meanwhile, the issue is getting mixed reactions throughout the area.
Three boys, ages 7, 8 and 11, were detained by police after an investigation into stolen bicycles.
The case was spurred on by a Medfield man who said customized bike parts have been disappearing from his yard for months.
The man said he caught three boys stealing from him Friday and that he chased one boy home. After that, he called 911 and, within the hour, the boys were under arrest.
Jesse Flayhart, 7, and Ayize Massey, 8, said that it started when the trio spied their neighbor's bikes, go-kart and scooter and decided to take them.
Massey's mother, Toya Goodson, said, "They called for a paddy wagon, and the paddy wagon came. They threw them in the back of the paddy wagon and they went down to juvenile detention."
The boys were released to their parents after about two hours, 11 News reporter Kerry Cavanaugh reported Monday night.
"They brought (Ayize) out of a bullpen with other, bigger children, with no shoes on, like a hardened criminal," Goodson said.
Police on Tuesday continued to stand by the arrests and the way they were handled.
"Whether you're 7, 17 or 70, the police department has an obligation to hold people accountable for their actions. In this case, the police officers arrested the juveniles and followed everything by the book," said police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
St. Joseph's Hospital child psychiatrist Dr. Mahmood Jahromi said the parents need to ask themselves why the boys broke the law in the first place.
"The question would be to the parents, 'Where are they when the children are out of sight?' Which group of friends are they associated with," Jahromi said.
The doctor said he believes the arrests will instill a healthy respect for authority in the children -- if their parents stop second-guessing the police.
The boys' families said they think police went too far.
"This was the first time for these little boys they did something wrong...It could've been resolved without my son being put in handcuffs," Goodson said.
Police Arrest 3 Children After Bike Thefts - Baltimore News Story - WBAL Baltimore
Meanwhile, the issue is getting mixed reactions throughout the area.
Three boys, ages 7, 8 and 11, were detained by police after an investigation into stolen bicycles.
The case was spurred on by a Medfield man who said customized bike parts have been disappearing from his yard for months.
The man said he caught three boys stealing from him Friday and that he chased one boy home. After that, he called 911 and, within the hour, the boys were under arrest.
Jesse Flayhart, 7, and Ayize Massey, 8, said that it started when the trio spied their neighbor's bikes, go-kart and scooter and decided to take them.
Massey's mother, Toya Goodson, said, "They called for a paddy wagon, and the paddy wagon came. They threw them in the back of the paddy wagon and they went down to juvenile detention."
The boys were released to their parents after about two hours, 11 News reporter Kerry Cavanaugh reported Monday night.
"They brought (Ayize) out of a bullpen with other, bigger children, with no shoes on, like a hardened criminal," Goodson said.
Police on Tuesday continued to stand by the arrests and the way they were handled.
"Whether you're 7, 17 or 70, the police department has an obligation to hold people accountable for their actions. In this case, the police officers arrested the juveniles and followed everything by the book," said police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
St. Joseph's Hospital child psychiatrist Dr. Mahmood Jahromi said the parents need to ask themselves why the boys broke the law in the first place.
"The question would be to the parents, 'Where are they when the children are out of sight?' Which group of friends are they associated with," Jahromi said.
The doctor said he believes the arrests will instill a healthy respect for authority in the children -- if their parents stop second-guessing the police.
The boys' families said they think police went too far.
"This was the first time for these little boys they did something wrong...It could've been resolved without my son being put in handcuffs," Goodson said.
Police Arrest 3 Children After Bike Thefts - Baltimore News Story - WBAL Baltimore
