10-year-old responsible for "Buckweed Fire"

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10-year-old responsible for "Buckweed Fire"

Posted: 11/2/07 at 11:08am

Neighbor: Fire-starting boy a 'good kid'

By NOAKI SCHWARTZ, Associated Press Writer Thu Nov 1, 11:36 PM ET

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - When arson investigators went looking for the person who set a blaze that scorched 60 square miles and destroyed 21 homes, Linda Conner says she knew right where to send them.
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Minutes after the fire broke out, Conner said, she had raced up a hill toward the source of the flames. At the top, she saw a stunned-looking 10-year-old boy and his parents frantically trying to beat the flames down with towels.

"There's no reason to talk to other people," Conner, a horse trainer at the ranch where the fire started, recalled telling arson investigators. "You need to go straight up the road and talk to that boy."

The 10-year-old quickly admitted he had been playing with matches.

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Updated On: 11/2/07 at 11:08 AM

re: 10-year-old responsible for 'Magic' fire in SoCal

Posted: 11/2/07 at 11:12am

Linny Martin, who lives across the road, said she often caught him throwing rocks at her horses. When she yelled at him to stop, she said, he would run up the hill to his family's trailer.

"He's got a lot of problems," Martin said.

I don't think I would ever mention anyone in-print like that.

"Zac is sweet as can be. He's very much just a sweet kid from California who happens to have a face that looks like it was drawn by Michelangelo, (if Michelangelo did anime)."
-Adam Shankman.

"I haven't left this building since Windows 3.1!"

"Celebrating a birthday this week: Rene Descartes is 412! Do you know who he is? Then why are you watching this show? You could probably get into college and even get one of those job things. As for the rest of us; Amanda Bynes is 22! Yay!"
-E!'s "The Soup"

re: 10-year-old responsible for 'Magic' fire in SoCal

Posted: 11/2/07 at 11:18am

I would. And I'm furious with the parents. If they indeed were there at the beginning of the blaze, "frantically trying to beat the flames down with towels," then WHY didn't they call 911 IMMEDIATELY???? Why did some employee of a neighboring ranch have to be the one to call 911, after the blaze was further out of control? And why didn't they call the cops and let them know their son had been playing with matches when the call went out asking for any information? They were obviously hiding (I'm sure they would say "protecting") their boy, and would never have admitted to his being responsible had there not been witnesses who blew it for them.

Yet another example of there being no personal responsibility in modern society.

re: 10-year-old responsible for 'Magic' fire in SoCal

Posted: 11/2/07 at 12:21pm

The boy could be incarcerated for three years if found guilty of a lesser charge of unlawfully starting a fire. For that count, prosecutors would have to prove only that he understood the risks of his actions, but Yamashiro said winning a conviction on even that charge could be difficult.

"They'd have to prove that at 10 years old he really appreciated what the risk of playing with matches would have been," Yamashiro said. "It's difficult to prosecute him under that theory."

Ummm......I'm sorry, but most 10 year olds know that matches start a fire. And if he doesn't realize that, then I hope he gets the help he needs to realize why what he did was so wrong.

re: 10-year-old responsible for 'Magic' fire in SoCal

Posted: 11/2/07 at 12:56pm

If they cannot prosecute and punish the child then they should prosecute and punish the parents. If I have a dog that attacks someone, they don't prosecute the dog they would prosecute me!
I find this particularly upsetting that the parents KNEW the kid started the fire and said nothing!
edited to add: Before someone says, "A dog is not a child." It is the fact that the governing adult takes responsibility for his or her charge, whether it be a dog or a child (if niether can fully comprehend and appreciate the results of their actions).

Those Blocked: SueStorm. N2N Nate. Good riddence to stupid! Rad-Z, shill begone!

Updated On: 11/2/07 at 12:56 PM

re: 10-year-old responsible for 'Magic' fire in SoCal

Posted: 11/2/07 at 2:31pm

"They'd have to prove that at 10 years old he really appreciated what the risk of playing with matches would have been," Yamashiro said. "It's difficult to prosecute him under that theory."

Ummm......I'm sorry, but most 10 year olds know that matches start a fire. And if he doesn't realize that, then I hope he gets the help he needs to realize why what he did was so wrong.

Yeah, but most 10 year olds don't understand that playing with matches and setting a twig or leaf on fire can spread to destroy 20 homes and cause thousands of dollars of damage. That is what they're referring to, not something as simplistic as "matches start fires". They don't have the mental capacity at that age to appreciate the butterfly effect of their actions on the world- especially on such a large scale. I'm sure he appreciates that now that there's the physical evidence, but most children can't understand the risk in advance.

Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

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