People With Disabilities Targeted In Separate Crimes
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People With Disabilities Targeted In Separate Crimes
Police investigate after pre-teens target disabled people in two different
attacks in Spring Grove Village Young crooks beat a disabled man during a
robbery, in what is typically one of Cincinnati's safer neighborhoods.
He is the second disabled person targeted this month in Spring Grove
Village, formerly Winton Place.
A man in a wheelchair was shot April 5th.
The attacks and the age of the suspects is drawing the concern of a
Cincinnati council member. The attackers could be as young as
12-years-old.
"I've got these five staples in my head from them hitting me with a gun or
some kind of metallic device," said Damian Jones, attacked in Spring Grove
Village.
The gash on Damian Jones' head is easy to see, pistol-whipped by
12-year-olds as he was walking home Wednesday evening.
The pre-teen thugs wanted Jones' $300 MP3 player that he paid for working
as a janitor, and he wasn't about to give it up.
"These guys probably never worked a day in their life," said
Jones. "Probably never will and I was thinking, you know, I'm not going to
do this. I won't do it!"
13 days ago, it was group of teens armed with a gun in Spring Grove
Village, that shot a man in his leg. That victim was defenseless in a
wheelchair.
Damian Jones' aunt is angry. She says Spring Grove Village has a juvenile
crime problem, and the criminals are getting younger.
"I'm sure they have the potential before the age of 18 to commit
murder," said Romona Jones, victim's aunt. "If they're willing to almost
kill someone for an MP3 player."
Wednesday night's pistol-whipping happened around the corner from Susan
Moore.
"You know, I think it's a rare incident," said Moore.
The man who was shot earlier this month, lives across the street. But
Moore is not worried.
"We do not have problems like that here. That's one of the things we boast
about, it's one of the safest neighborhoods in Cincinnati."
And police crime statistics back that up, but city leaders are concerned
about the age of the criminals.
"Even one is too many," said Chris Monzel, Cincinnati council member.
Monzel lives in Spring Grove Village.
"It's the 12-year-old, 13-year-old, the tweeners now. What are we going to
do with them and how can we get involved to stop them from going into a
path of crime?"
Monzel is part of the area's active Citizens on Patrol group. Local 12 is
going to go out with him on their next walk. That's where Monzel says
they're going to reach out to young people in the area and find out why
these attacks are happening and make sure someone tells these kids they
are going to put a stop to them.
Both incidents involve African American teenagers, and pre-teens, dressed
in black.
If you have any information that can help police, call CrimeStoppers at
(513) 352-3040.
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http://www.local12.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=49b82e3b-cc07-4259-a83a-f0ee942152d1
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