By Guy Page
A 14-year-old Essex boy was cited and released Sunday, July 10 after Essex police say that on Friday, July 8 he threatened adults on a bike path with a baseball bat, demanding their cellphones and passcodes. He struck a woman with the bat after she didn’t immediately comply.
In a July 10 press release, Essex police didn’t say why the youth was using a deadly weapon to steal cellphones. But they did provide details of the thefts, arrest, and citation.
On Friday July 8, at 6:51 pm the Essex Police responded to the area of Old Colchester Road near the Tree Farm along the bicycle path for a report from a male Essex resident (51) who advised he had been approached by a juvenile male holding a baseball bat. The juvenile threatened the male with the baseball bat and demanded he give him his cell phone and to provide him with the passcode.
The juvenile fled on foot without the male’s cell phone and police were unable to locate him at this time after conducting a search of the area.
Essex Police then received a separate call at 8:32 pm from a female Essex resident (25) who reported she had been assaulted by a juvenile male in the area of the Tree Farm on Old Colchester Road.
The woman reported she had been approached by the juvenile with a baseball bat. The juvenile demanded for her to give him her cell phone and provide the passcode. When she did not immediately hand over the phone, the juvenile struck her with the baseball bat.
The juvenile stole her phone and fled the area on foot. The woman was able to seek assistance at a nearby residence where a call was made to police. The woman later went to the UVM Medical Center Emergency Department for treatment of injuries sustained during the attack.
Both parties provided very similar descriptions of the juvenile male. From the descriptions provided, Essex Police narrowed the search and located a subject at a nearby residence who was responsible for the assault and robbery. Police recovered the stolen property and returned it to the owner.
At 9:26 pm the Essex resident and male juvenile (14) was taken into custody and transported to the Essex Police Department for processing. The juvenile was released to his guardian with court ordered conditions of release.
The juvenile was issued a flash citation to appear at Vermont Superior Court- Chittenden County Criminal Division to answer the charge of Assault and Robbery on Monday, July 11. By state law, juvenile court proceedings are sealed from the public and press.
Essex Police will be increasing patrols in the area, the Essex PD statement concluded.
Comments on the Essex PD Facebook page reflect a citizenry concerned about public safety, police response, and citation and release of a young man who had bludgeoned a woman with a baseball bat.
- “How about we turn the lights back on at Woodside [Juvenile Detention Facility]. No reason this kid should be released until his court appearance tomorrow.”
- “Just an opinion, this is a failure by our judicial system. This suspect should not have been released, and consequently the people of Essex Junction are vulnerable. At the very least he needed to be held for psychiatric evaluation.”
- “I am struggling how someone was able to threaten one person and successfully assault another community member with a weapon in nearly the same location within an hour and forty minutes after the Police were called. I am starting to think the two officers and one supervisor staffing is not enough if we can literally allow a community member to walk into that kind of situation within 2 hours of the first event.”
- “That’s actually scary. I was in that area recently and a teenage boy was in the middle of the road, smoking, and yelling at me. The way he looked at me was actually pretty scary.”
Thieves steal cellphones to (among other reasons) access the owner’s online financial accounts, blackmail the owner with personal information, and/or hold the phone as ransom. With both the cellphones and the passwords, thieves can perform unauthorized transactions before the owner can notify police, banks, and others.
Categories: Crime
Hitting a person over the head with a baseball bat can kill them. He and all the others – regardless of age or RACE need to be held to protect the public from DEATH.
But instead? Legislators are only interested in being protected from their constituents who have the colossal gall to exercise their inherent right to free speech.
Most of the VT legislators need to be VOTED OUT – PRONTO!
Not just legislators but specifically Sarah George, the Chitt. Cty. States Attorney has been the one providing the means for criminals to walk the streets. True that there aren’t enough mental health clinics/facilities but just letting the dangerous ones go free is scary. She’s up for reelection. Please vote her OUT!
Sadly you are not even “speculating” at this point. The Burlington HOMICIDE suspect who is currently AT LARGE was just in police custody DAYS before the shooting on WEAPONS charges. He is a known dirtbag. Who let him bail out? Why won’t they name him?
While liberal politicians demand more “common sense gun laws” and pretend to want more comprehensive background checks, they maintain privacy policies for serious “juvenile” offenders which keep them from being placed on a status which would, according to REAL common sense, prevent them from lawfully purchasing a gun in the future. Liberal public officials, including our long-serving Attorney General Donovan have been on a campaign to EXPUNGE criminal records. Old-timers will remember having teachers point their long, bony fingers at you and tell you if you get into trouble that “it will end up on your permanent record”. Well, in this enlightened age of no personal responsibility, blaming “root causes” and expunging past offenses there is no “permanent record”.
Assault with a baseball bat should be treated as an adult crime, no matter the age of the perpetrator. This little twerp is the mass shooter of the future. RE-OPEN WOODSIDE, or better yet WEEKS SCHOOL/ Vermont Industrial School (look it up).
There is nothing common sense about liberal gun laws that restrict 2nd Amendment rights to citizens. (So many miss that clause – “shall not infringe”). There certainly is no common sense releasing an individual who is attacking people with a deadly weapon. It is up to voters on that same nonessents if they get re-elected. It’s time to stop voting political parties regardless of their platform and history. It’s no longer a Republican, Democrat, Progressive vote. It’s about Good and Evil !
Did they at least take his baseball bat away?
They probably got Sarah to autograph it
It’s time we do background checks on all bats. Wooden, metal, vampire, etc.
“Because as we all know, elections matter. And when folks vote, they order what they want, and in this case they got what they asked for.” -Kamala Harris
Bill……..PERFECT!!!
This is a good reason for conceal carry and stand your ground laws.
Why is someone who is a clear danger to public safety released prior to a hearing? The kid should have been locked up. Clearly those in the Essex justice department believe a criminal juvenile has more rights than the law-abiding public.
I sadly remember two Essex teens (Louie Hamlin, 16, and Jamie Savage, 15) who did horrible things to two young six graders in Essex. Do we have to get there again to have proper handling of juvenille and other lawbreakers? https://www.vnews.com/Archives/2015/02/Woodsidesidebar-jsk-vn-022215
I guess if that had happened to me, I’d have shown him the proper way to use that bat.
WTF That was an assault with a deadly weapon and I don,t care how young the criminal is,he should be in custody and not out walking the streets. I would bet odds that with our progressive socialist democrats this criminal will get off scot free! Way to go Vermont! Keep voting those progressive democrats in to the Montpelier cesspool.
Me thinks this one; juvenile or no……..Flag him for future issues
Well, this may ruffle some feathers, but I’d given him approximately one second before the result would have been a candlelight vigil for a poor misguided youth who had not yet learned appropriate behavior.
Who did he or the guardian know, that would approve, just letting the criminal walk after attacking a passerby, with a baseball bat? Should he not have been charged as an adult. Baseball bat could be a fatal weapon. Will this case get hidden under the rug! Please follow up!
So, what was the outcome of this criminal attacking a woman with a baseball bat? How did he walk free? Who vouched for this juvenile delinquent!
Appears Chittenden County is getting exactly the results they vote for and support whole-heartedly. The wokest county in Vermont where most residents and their politicians finger wag and virtue signal to the rest of the State. Expect more of the same Essex, Burlington, etc. The Dem/Prog mantra of “taking action” mob rule violence against anyone who disagrees is now boomeranging right back at them. Their wicked ways are working out just as it should – they live among their own consequences and their policies.
“Gimme your phone or else!” ” Ah, ok its in my back pocket”….bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Might get a court date, but you wont get hit with a bat that could kill YOU.
I can’t take credit for this quote and I forget who said it but;
“Children without a father in the home are like
Explorers without a compass.”
The article did not indicate this child’s home life but I suspect it is a major part of the problem. In order to prevent more crime, we need focus on the basic elements of human health. Intact two parent, loving homes, are a crucial building block for healthy societies.
Wisconsin Supreme Court has just ruled to outlaw all ballot harvesting and ordered the elimination of all voter ballot drop off mail boxes. We’ll see whom wins there next election. Dinesh D’Souza’s movie “2000 Mules” has flawlessly documented the widespread fraud across the United States during the presidential election. You can view the movie on this website until the “Ministry of Truth” takes it down.
https://tv.gab.com/channel/patriotnews4u/view/2000-mules-full-documentary-627736be6b2530a3c8c29175
I question the integrity of the Vermont election process after viewing the movie. We must monitor and record Vermont drop off ballot boxes throughout the night. We need to volunteer within the system. Don’t do anything illegal, violent or unethical. Don’t expect to get the Vermont State department to do the hard work. Vote like you never voted before because your life depends on it. Wisconsin took their state back. Vermont is next.
Oh yes Don, you’re so right! Republicans in Vermont are comprised of a relatively small group of well-meaning folks who love Vermont and are equally disturbed at what has and ‘is’ happening. Will you or anyone you know join us in trying to better things? Join your local town committee please. We NEED everyone’s help.