6 People Beat Up Peeping Tom

An alleged peeping Tom remains in the intensive care unit after reportedly being assaulted with a tree branch, NewsChannel5 reported.

Officials said Mario Russo, 44, was attacked after he was spotted outside a bedroom window wearing his pants around his ankles and watching a 5-year-old girl who was sleeping in a unit at the Bunker Ridge Apartments.

Russo was reportedly hiding in bushes.

Police said after he was discovered a group of six people, include the girl's mother, aunt and their boyfriends attacked him and brutally beat him for more than an hour.

The girl's mother, Stacy Umstott, 28; her aunt, Athena Lemieux, 20; Brandon Breedon, 21; Nicholas Phipps, 21; and Khald Arafat, 34; and a 15-year-old are in police custody. They face felonious assault and rape charges. Murder charges could be filed if Russo dies.

The girl's aunt admitted to sexually assaulting Russo with a tree branch, police said.

The incident was caught on tape.

Meanwhile, police said that citizens should not take matters into their own hands

"To take matters into their own hands like they did was just way, way beyond reason," North Royalton Detective Jay Drake said.

news.yahoo.com.../ibsys/20040818/lo_wews/2334207

I saw this one on CNN this morning and it brought up a few questions. What would you do if you were the child's parent? Now I understand the need for order, but the peeping tom masterbating outside the window is one step away from being inside the window and just another step away from reaching the bed. We have the right to protect our families. Perhaps I would just be an over protective father, but if it was me they would not find the perverts body.

I dont have a problem with what they did. In a case like this I would not have had a problem with them shoting the bastard.

We have "convinced" several sexual predators that this is not a good neighborhood to live in.

I would hold out until everyone on the jury found them not guilty! He got what he deserved

Now the whole sexual assault/tree branch thing is a bit sadistic in my opinion, but I can understand the rage that they must have been in. Personal I think that you can do what needs to be done without inflicting an abnormal amount of suffering. This is why I am actually for the death penalty. People tend to get too emotional when debating it and that clouds logical judgement. It is not inplace to punish the person in an eye for an eye mentality, but rather as a safe guard to protect the community from those whom would harm it.

Used to be, you could shoot a trespasser in Texas. Now you can't do anything? I remember a story in Florida where a man shot a burglar in the process of robbing him. The burglar was paralyzed and sued the homeowner, and get this - HE WON!!! WAY to sad is the law makers today.

I remember caling the police once on a neighbor who was verbally and physically abusing his kids, like he often did when he was drunk. I called the police and after a few questions, nothing happened AND the cop siad if I called them again, I WOULD GO JAIL. So the next time it happened, I wooped him hind end like there was no tomorrow.

This place is really getting sad.

What goes around comes around, and in this instance it seems to have had a fast turnaround time. As for my personal reaction were I the parent of the child in question, I would no doubt be sitting in the county lockup facing assault charges among others. Might not have used a tree branch, the beating would have been enough, esp if the scum landed in jail; the inmates would make it far worse on him anyway.

Originally posted by Jonna
Perhaps I would just be an over protective father, but if it was me they would not find the perverts body.

Same here. I would have killed the son of a bitch right there where he stood.

I have no problem with the treatment he got.
He should be charged with pedophilia "by proxy". He is 44 for %#$@ sake.

What else would you do, call the cops. By the time they get there he would been long gone.
At least he is a 'known' child pervert now.

However, it probably would make sense to call 911 as the others were beating the crap
out of the scumbag, just from a legal point of view.

Sanc'.

Originally posted by godservant
Used to be, you could shoot a trespasser in Texas. Now you can't do anything? I remember a story in Florida where a man shot a burglar in the process of robbing him. The burglar was paralyzed and sued the homeowner, and get this - HE WON!!! WAY to sad is the law makers today.

Same sort of things have happened here in the UK, I don't know the exact details, so don't ask me for them.
I have heard of several cases, where a burgler breaks into somebodys home - cuts themselves on the glass (which they smashed to get in), or fell over something - and sued the home owner! Plus... WON!

In regards to the case mentioned at the start of the thread... I am not sure what I would have done, if I was the father of the daughter; I would have probably beat the pervert up - but I don't think I would of killed him, as that would make me worse than him.

Originally posted by MetalHead
In regards to the case mentioned at the start of the thread... I am not sure what I would have done, if I was the father of the daughter; I would have probably beat the pervert up - but I don't think I would of killed him, as that would make me worse than him.

You would have to do what he did to be the same as him. There is a huge difference in searching out someone to kill for non-survival reasons and protecting yourself and your family.

Originally posted by Jonna
You would have to do what he did to be the same as him. There is a huge difference in searching out someone to kill for non-survival reasons and protecting yourself and your family.

Well yea I guess... But murder is still murder. Anyway, as a couple of us have already stated - it is hard to protect your family in these modern times, without getting a jail sentence yourself; which I think, is a big issue.

I thought in the US you had to be arrested, tried and convicted before punishment?

I mean we don't really know the man was where they say he was doing what they say he was doing?

What we have is a group of people that attacked someone and violently sodimized him. We still have no proof he did anything wrong.

If he did he should be arrested and taken off the street. That is the law.

These people that did this will hopefully not only be convicted for assualt but since it was a "sexual crime" will find themselves convicted sex offenders. Seriously I am a lawyer and that is exactly what they are.

I am not defending this man except to say he deserves to be put through the process same as everyone else. They should have detained him and called authorities. Instead they took the law into their own hands and then committed a very violent crime against him.

Flame on I know but if you just move beyond the anger we all feel towards people who hurt children you will realize you have no proof he did anything wrong. Now thanks to these peoples actions whether he was a danger or not is irrelivant. He is now a victim.

Originally posted by MetalHead
Well yea I guess... But murder is still murder. Anyway, as a couple of us have already stated - it is hard to protect your family in these modern times, without getting a jail sentence yourself; which I think, is a big issue.

Agreed, I guess it is just a question about how far you are prepared to go in protecting your own. The laws are pretty screwed up when it comes to scenerios as have been mentioned. As far as I'm concerned if there is someone in my home that is uninvited and unexpected, I'm claiming self-defence for the protection of my life and the lives of my loved ones at my homicide trial. The right to live and protect my life from immediate danger is one that I will not lay down and have taken from me.

These people that did this will hopefully not only be convicted for assualt but since it was a "sexual crime" will find themselves convicted sex offenders. Seriously I am a lawyer and that is exactly what they are.

You obviously do not have kids. Yeah you must be a lawyer, I'm sorry.

Yeah I somewhat agree that he is innocent until proven guilty but if he was outside my kids window I definately would do something. I would be in a fit of rage. I will admit it. Yeah it might bring me down a few levels but not to his. I am protection my family. That is my NUMBER 1 job. If it happened to me, I would'nt beat him, I would cut his stuff off then call the cops.

Originally posted by nativeokie
What we have is a group of people that attacked someone and violently sodimized him.

Hi nativeokie
I've read the link and thread and i can't see anything about him being sodimized.
Being sexually assulted could be interpreted as...
1. Hit repeatedly on the buttocks with an object.
2. Hit repeatedly on ones family jewels.

I'm just glad the little girl is ok, and i dare say more children in the future had he not been caught.
Sanc'.

Originally posted by godservant
Used to be, you could shoot a trespasser in Texas. Now you can't do anything? I remember a story in Florida where a man shot a burglar in the process of robbing him. The burglar was paralyzed and sued the homeowner, and get this - HE WON!!! WAY to sad is the law makers today.

I remember caling the police once on a neighbor who was verbally and physically abusing his kids, like he often did when he was drunk. I called the police and after a few questions, nothing happened AND the cop siad if I called them again, I WOULD GO JAIL. So the next time it happened, I wooped him hind end like there was no tomorrow.

This place is really getting sad.

SHOOT TO KILL. IT IS THE ONLY WAY. IT IS THE SURVIVOR WHO TELLS THE POLICE WHAT HAPPENED.

Originally posted by MetalHead
Well yea I guess... But murder is still murder. Anyway, as a couple of us have already stated - it is hard to protect your family in these modern times, without getting a jail sentence yourself; which I think, is a big issue.

In Arkansas you would get at MOST a couple years for killing this scumbag with a good lawyer not even that.

You would be out in less than 6 months, a small price to pay for your childs safety

For the people that said thay would kill him for masturbating outside her window. I think that's a bit over the top. Your emotions would be clouding your logical judgment.

Personally I would have beat him up until he surrenders or goes unconcious then drag him into a room and lock the door and call the cops, or if you don't feel comfortable with him being in your house then if you have a gun or bat stand next to him with it pointing at him until the cops show up.

[edit on 20-8-2004 by Murcielago]

I didn't say shoot the guy in the tree.....but once they come into my house it is OPEN SEASON.

Originally posted by Murcielago
For the people that said thay would kill him for masturbating outside her window. I think that's a bit over the top. Your emotions would be clouding your logical judgment.

[edit on 20-8-2004 by Murcielago]

I wouldnt have deliberatly killed him but if he died during the beating I wouldnt have lost any sleep over it. I have a 200 lb rottwieller that dont like strangers so tresspassers are usually not a problem