It has been a horrible week in headlines through East County. A raging shooter wounded a man from shooting vehicle to vehicle on I-8 in the wee hours of the morning, and deputies serving an eviction notice in Lakeside, found a dead body stuffed in a suitcase, that they believe has been there for six months to a year. And we cannot forget the El Cajon police officer accused of sexual harassment for allegedly sending nude photos and lewd text to females in the department.
It has been a horrible week in headlines through East County. A raging shooter wounded a man from shooting vehicle to vehicle on I-8 in the wee hours of the morning, and deputies serving an eviction notice in Lakeside, found a dead body stuffed in a suitcase, that they believe has been there for six months to a year. And we cannot forget the El Cajon police officer accused of sexual harassment for allegedly sending nude photos and lewd text to females in the department.
But, with all of these horrible things going on, my favorite is the mother that marched her teenage daughter into the El Cajon Police Department after seeing a surveillance video and recognized the puppy that her daughter said she had found.
That is tough love at its best. It takes a loving heart and strong will to do this. Although it is still under investigation, I hope that this young woman reveals the other person in the video and realizes what a gift her mother gave her in turning her in.
I cannot imagine how hard it would be, to stand as courageous as this mother and do the right thing. Not only for the family and the 9-year-old, but also for her daughter. As a teenager, many of us have done stupid things, and most of the time, without consequences. A lesson in life can build the rest of the future in this time. It is difficult to predict, not knowing all the facts, but it is easy to speculate that a trip to jail, arrested for suspicion of grand theft might be a wakeup call just in time. What happens from here, with the teenager and the authorities, can help, or hurt her future potential.
I cannot claim to be any kind of expert, especially when it comes to juvenile court and how it works. But I hope that all decisions made if and when the time comes for the consequence part of this action is made with the best intentions of teaching a lesson in life for her good. At this age, any actions made will carry through her adult life.
Unless found that this is a habitual and psychological problem, I am thinking that throwing the book at her is not the best solution. Getting her involved in community service, and I mean a whole lot of community service, with organizations and people that will help build her character is a good start. I also believe that working a job to pay what it cost to go through the process of arrest and juvenile court is another strong lesson in learning the value of the decisions we make.
But this is just me if I were judge for the day.
And as for the mother, she not only set a stellar example of great citizenship and responsibility for her daughter, but for us parents as well. She did have other options, yet she chose the high road.
Thank you.
