Followup from the toddler with 3rd degree burns

[wowie]

Remember my post from the other day? They've arrested two teens...

Balto. Co. police arrest teens in acid burning

Police say suspects, both 16, were experimenting with chemical on slide

By a Sun Reporter
Sun Reporter

April 17, 2007, 11:32 AM EDT

Two 16-year-olds were arrested and charged last night in the chemical burning of a 2-year-old boy on Saturday, Baltimore County police said today.

A school resource officer first learned about the involvement of one of the juveniles. After further investigation, police said they also linked the second juvenile to the incident. Neither has been named by police.

On Saturday, Payton Potachney, a 2-year-old from Middle River, went down the slide on a playground behind Victory Villa Elementary School and received second- and third-degree burns from a chemical that was on the slide. The boy's family took him to Franklin Square Hospital; he was later taken to Johns Hopkins for treatment of his burns. He has undergone skin grafts for treatment of the third-degree burns, according to family members.

During an investigation, police found that the storage building at the school had been broken into and bottles of an industrial strength cleaner that contained sulfuric acid were taken.

Police said they believe the motive for the incident was to break into the storage building by kicking in the door. When the suspects found the bottles of the chemical, they poured it on the plastic slide, experimenting to see if the chemical would burn the plastic, police said. When they saw it did nothing, they left, leaving the chemical on the slide, police said.

The two juveniles arrested live in the Essex area and were charged with reckless endangerment and second-degree burglary, according to police.

Both suspects were released into the custody of their parents.

Comments

[lauralynn22.livejournal.com]

Thank God they got them, but why release them to their parents?

Maybe I'm being too harsh, but they should at the very least been on home monitoring.

Thanks for the update Wowie.

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

I don't know how that goes with minors (and hope I never have to!) so I have no clue why they weren't sent immediately to some underage facility.

[carolina200.livejournal.com]

Stupid, thoughtless, irresponsible. I hope they got smacked all the way home at the very least.

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

And lost all privileges when they got home!

[fomocobaby.livejournal.com]

I suppose it's better that they were just profoundly stupid vandals and weren't deliberately trying to hurt anyone. But still...breaking in somewhere and trying to destroy playground equipment, even endangering themselves by handling powerful acids...those kids need some serious intervention from authorities and parents before they go off on their own in the world. If I was the parent of the two year old I'm sure I'd want their heads on sticks, but I'm guessing that's frowned upon...

since you asked...

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

fomo, see my other post about the family.

[hermione0.livejournal.com]

They could also be lying about not intending to hurt anyone. Note neither one of them was hurt, so they were damn careful not to get any on themselves. What the hell did they think would happen to the first kid to slide down?

I'd say about 200 hours each of community service would be a good start. Let them clean up playgrounds and work at family homeless shelters.

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

Can we add a 0 - like 2000 hours of community service each?!?

[stargazer60.livejournal.com]

Yeah, right...not intending to hurt anyone...who uses plastic slides...only the small children.

I think the parents should get a slap on the wrist, too..raising idiot sons...

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

I would feel sick to my stomach - and then some - if I discovered my child was involved in something like that!

[wyepeep.livejournal.com]

These thoughtless teens did not get any burns? They had to know the stuff was very dangerous. Wonder if they watched??? They should be incarcerated until 21. Also, I think the parents failed. What other 'boys will be boys' stuff have they been allowed to get away with? Bet there were a bunch. The 'not my child' crowd annoy the hell out of me. How do they expect their kids to learn right from wrong?????

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

We've been through the 'not my kid' stuff with former friends of my son. I'm so glad he's not hanging with that crowd anymore... by our suggestion and his mutual decision. Another group of juvenile delinquents!

[pusspower.livejournal.com]

Glad they found them- it's too bad that some minors don't think things through and then get involved in such horrific crimes as a result.

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

I really like to presume they were being stupid and not early onset juvenile delinquents, but who knows?

[aflon.livejournal.com]

I'm glad they've found who did it. I hope that there will be social reports done on these kids as to why they did it and that their family backgrounds are being looked into - especially if they have any siblings to try and head off any trouble from them.

[kisli.livejournal.com]

In my present state of potential weepiness, I didn't read the whole article, but got the jist of the story. My worst fear is something happening to my girls that I can't control.

I'd like to hear these two assholes parents reaction to what their kids did. parents today are so willing to let things go. I'd crucify my kid if they ever did something like this!

[wwowie.livejournal.com]

I'd crucify my kid if they ever did something like this!

I so agree with you. It's a very scary world out there. Wrong thing to say to a woman in your state, hm? ;)