Don't drop the soap, young fella!

[Bob Loblaw]

zoinks.

Matthew Marx
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The charges, mostly felonies, against Andrew Riley include burglary, theft, vandalism and witness intimidation.


The multitude of charges filed recently against a Nelsonville teen has astonished prosecutors, some of whom have practiced law since before he was born.

Andrew Riley, 13, is charged with 128 felonies, in Athens County Juvenile Court. They include burglary, theft, vandalism and witness intimidation. The delinquency charges stem from a crime spree that has lasted more than a year, authorities said.

"In my 30 years of doing this, I’ve never had a juvenile that young with so many charges," Athens County Prosecutor C. David Warren said last night.

Nelsonville police, who continue to investigate the crime spree, have accused Riley of breaking into several homes and businesses, even stealing checks from elderly citizens, Warren said.

At least three other youths, one of them 10 years old, have been charged in the investigation, he said.

"It’s a multitude. This isn’t kid stuff. … He gave a severe beating to one of the witnesses who turned him in," Warren said.

"You’re getting into his violent nature. We either get him rehabilitated now in the juvenile system or we will be dealing with him for the rest of his life."

Riley is in a juvenile detention center; a pretrial hearing is scheduled for later this month.

Barely a teen, Riley is too young to be tried in an adult court. Even if convicted on all counts, he still likely would be freed from juvenile prison no later than when he turns 21, prosecutors said.

Despite the paperwork involved, Warren said he is proceeding with all of the cases, hoping to get some restitution for the victims.

"It is very difficult to explain to a victim whose business has been broken into to say we are going to charge on this but not on yours."

The FullBrooks Cafe, a popular Nelsonville coffee shop, was struck twice, WBNS-TV (Channel 10) reported.

"It sort of like took all the air out of me the first time, and the second time I couldn’t believe it," FullBrooks owner Miki Brooks told WBNS.

Even in a much larger city, the number of charges against Riley would be unusual.

Triple-digit felony counts "would be very high for Franklin County in my 14 years here," said Dennis Hogan, chief counsel for the Franklin County prosecutor’s juvenile division.

Reached at home, Hogan remembered some vandals charged with 50 to 60 counts as the highest he’s dealt with in Franklin County.

Laura Cole of WBNS-10 TV contributed to this report.


mmarx@dispatch.com

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.p...314-B4-02.html

[BEB]

128 felonies by 13? Is that some sort of record?

Besides the criminal record I mean.

[Bob Loblaw]

128 felonies by 13? Is that some sort of record?

Besides the criminal record I mean.

should we warm up the chair?

[BEB]

Let's start at a lower voltage first. Electroshock therapy is making a comeback.

Beating up an elderly person is what worries me the most. Punk kid getting away with vandalism and theft isn't a good thing obviously especially hundreds of times (counting the ones he didn't get caught for), but those were property crimes. When he crossed the line into assault he lost me fighting for reforming him.

[KaiGywer]

But you know he's just a misguided youth and those evil cops are only out to get him....


ZAP!

[10-42Adam]

Just put an end to him now before he gets even worse...

[Piggybank Cop]

"You’re getting into his violent nature. We either get him rehabilitated now in the juvenile system or we will be dealing with him for the rest of his life."

Right.

[dapples]

At 21 will his criminal record be "sealed" ????

[conalabu]

At 21 will his criminal record be "sealed" ????

Of course, because at 21 all his childhood mistakes just disappear.

[lewisipso]

You’re getting into his violent nature. We either get him rehabilitated now in the juvenile system or we will be dealing with him for the rest of his life.

I've got some rehabilitation for him. Send him to my house and my kids will show him how to stay out of serious trouble before I could lift a hand.
My 6 year old has some witness intimidation for him.