12-Year-Old Boys Arrested for Allegedly Dropping Shopping Cart on NYC Mother

First of all, I must say that I was in a pretty good mood until I read this, which makes me angry to no end. What in the world is wrong with some kids these day? I tell you what, this is one of those cases that I think these kids need to be taken out behind the woodshed for a little talk. If I was to pull this kind of thing when I was a kid, I wouldn't be able to sit down for a month! What in the hell possess children to do stuff like this? (Please excuse my language, its just aggravating) and where are the parents in this type of situation? Surely they know better than this. I really fear for the future generations (I know that there are some good ones out there, however, and this does not represent all of them). Ugh
so does anyone else think these two boys should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, or just slap them on the hand and tell them not to do it anymore (which is the most likely scenario here, given some of the laws nowadays)


www.foxnews.com...:

Two 12-year-old boys were in police custody after allegedly dropping a shopping cart four stories onto a New York City mother who was out buying Halloween candy for underprivileged children. Marion Salmon Hedges, a wealthy Manhattan real-estate agent, was struck in the head by the falling cart on Sunday while walking outside a Target store with her 14-year-old son in East Harlem, the New York Post reports. Gaurav Patel, a doctor who witnessed the incident, performed CPR on Hedges, who was later transported to Harlem Hospital where she remains in a medically-induced coma. "We heard a little boy just screaming," Patel's wife, Susan Mahoney, told the newspaper. "Guarav said she was [in cardiac arrest] for about a minute. He did chest compressions, and she became responsive."

My very first question is how did they get on the roof in the first place; places keep things roof entrances locked tight as a drum to avoid such situations because of liability issues. My second question is how did two 12 year old children get a buggy onto a roof.

This sounds fishy to me. I'm suspicious about whether or not they're not simply playing scapegoat with 2 underprivileged kids; it wouldn't be the first time. Besides, if one of them screamed, wouldn't such a reaction to what they did preclude them talking and laughing later?

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


after thinking about it, you have some pretty valid questions about it. I suppose some kids are smart enough to figure a way to get up there. I have seen graffitti on places that it would almost seem impossible to get to, though. I was just a little angry.

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


It wasn't from a roof, if was from an elevated walkway that connects the different stores in the complex. They are designed so that you can't push your cart through the multiple levels of the mall.

I heard about this yesterday. It's really pissed me off. What I would like to know is where the hell were these fools parents?

Originally posted by AnIntellectualRedneck
My very first question is how did they get on the roof in the first place; places keep things roof entrances locked tight as a drum to avoid such situations because of liability issues. My second question is how did two 12 year old children get a buggy onto a roof.

This sounds fishy to me. I'm suspicious about whether or not they're not simply playing scapegoat with 2 underprivileged kids; it wouldn't be the first time. Besides, if one of them screamed, wouldn't such a reaction to what they did preclude them talking and laughing later?

edit on 1-11-2011 by AnIntellectualRedneck because: (no reason given)

I believe the boy screaming may have been her 14 yr old son who was there.

My response:

I feel sorry for these kids. They have no grasp on reality and that's made obvious by what the police officer said about them being non-chalant after their arrest. I feel sorry for them because having that attitude paints a very clear picture of the parents involvement in their lives. The fact that two 12 year old are roaming the streets, and are bored enough to drop a shopping cart, off of a parking deck, tells me that 13 years ago, 2 condoms broke, and some young idiots decided they wanted to be parents...

ETA: I think we should give thanks that it was Target and not Walmart. You know Targets carts are no longer all metal. I think this would be a much more tragic story if it was a metal walmart cart..

Here is a picture of the victim.

She doesn't look like the devil or anything...

'SHE'S A SUPER NICE PERSON' Marion Hedges was devoted to helping under-privileged children like the two who dropped a shopping trolley on her. She helps out at Manhattan's Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center and was out on Sunday buying sweets for trick-or-treaters. ‘She’s a terrific member,’ the centre’s executive director Wanda Wooten told the New York Daily News. ‘You can't believe this happened.’ Mrs Hedges attended the $37,500-a-year private Spence school and then the $40,400-a-year Barnard College in Manhattan. She has a 13-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter. The real estate worker was the daughter of a businessman and a doctor and her husband is currently working in Spain for Merrill Lynch. ‘She’s a super, super nice person,’ a family friend told the New York Daily News. ’She's been involved in not for profits and charities for more than 25 years.’ Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

Helping under privileged kids in East Harlem...Hmmmmm...?

Originally posted by AnIntellectualRedneck
Besides, if one of them screamed, wouldn't such a reaction to what they did preclude them talking and laughing later?

I think the boy who was mentioned to be screaming, was the woman's son - not one of the alleged perpetrators.

If these two 12-year-olds were laughing and joking after doing this, then they've obviously got some emotional development problems. Anybody who thought that dropping a shopping trolley on someone from four floors up was a good idea for a humorous prank, clearly has a very blurred handle on human and social interaction.

ETA: I think we should give thanks that it was Target and not Walmart. You know Targets carts are no longer all metal. I think this would be a much more tragic story if it was a metal walmart cart..

reply to post by My.mind.is.mine


What would have been the difference? Death on impact?

She is in a medically induced coma, and that cart fell 4 stories, IMAGINE the IMPACT!

12 yr olds here unfortunately wander through their neighborhoods with friends and stir trouble.

OH AND LETS NOT FORGET- THE PARENTS ARE CLAIMING THAT THESE ARE "GOOD KIDS"

reply to post by WeBrooklyn


mom- "not my baby.. my baby wouldn't do nothing like that. as a matter of fact, my baby was at the library doing his homework!"

police- "which library ma'am?"

mom- "the one on 5th & pine!"

police- "ma'am that library got demolished 5 years ago.... your kid is a misfit.."

While reading the story, something occurred to me.

The woman is white. The East Harlem population is predominantly Puerto Rican and African American. My suspicion is that the attack was not entirely random. Seeing as how the boys were joking and laughing about the incident, I suspect the attack was racially motivated.

This is no excuse by any means. In fact, it makes the matter all the more appalling. I don't think it mattered who the victim was, they only had to be white. The woman was, unfortunately, in the right place at the wrong time.

Maybe I'm completely off base. This is just an impression I got. My sympathy certainly goes out to the woman and her family. If what I'm saying is true, then I also have sympathy for the young boys being taught such intolerance and hatred.

reply to post by N3k9Ni


Two 12 year old boys, mathematically genius enough to time a 4 story drop of a shopping cart to hit ONE lady? No sir, I doubt it was racially motivated. I think it was 2 idiotic 12 years olds and I don't even believe they MEANT to hit anybody. I think it was an accident but they don't fear the consequences. That's all..

This quote from the article pissed me off. "They deliberately pushed it over the edge,' a law-enforcement source told the New York Post. 'They're a bunch of stupid kids, they made a bad decision. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.'" Oh yea, take the kids side. I think a twelve year old knows what happens when a cart hits someone from the 4 floor. She was in the wrong place, I mean c'mon , now when you go shopping you have to worry about what someone is going to throw from above. It's crazy but shouldn't the designers have thought that something like this might happen and built in some kind of safeguard against it.

Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...