14 year old boy being charged for "Meows"

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/9725203/detail.html

JEANNETTE, Pa. -- Meow. A Pennsylvania judge is being asked to decide whether that word is a harmless taunt or grounds for misdemeanor harassment.

Police have charged a 14-year-old boy with that crime. Michael Loughner is accused of meowing whenever he sees his 78-year-old neighbor, Alexandria Carasia.

The boy's family got rid of their cat after Carasia complained that it was using her flower garden as a litter box. Now, she said, the boy makes meowing sounds every time he sees her.

He said he's only meowed at her twice.

"I've had to put up with this for three years," Carasia said. "As I walk by, I see Michael and his mother. He got on the porch and hid behind the bamboo screen and starts meowing. If I don't make this stop now, they're going to keep doing this to me. I shouldn't have to worry about walking out of the house and being harassed by this young kid."

Loughner said that on July 23 he went out to hold his dog so it wouldn't leave the yard as Carasia walked by.

"She was walking through and she kept looking at us," he testified. "I grabbed the dog so it wouldn't leave the yard. When I put my head down, I meowed."

He said that was one of the two times he's ever meowed at the woman, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review reported.

"As she walked in front of the house, nothing was said," the boy's mother, Sally Loughner, told the court. "He stepped off the porch to make sure the dog didn't get out. As he reached down and got the dog, he said, 'Meow.' ... She said, 'Do you want me to call the cops again?' I said, 'Go ahead, he hasn't done anything wrong.'"

There is a history of disputes between the neighbors, according to the paper.

Sally Loughner told the court that she ended up sending her cat to live with family members so that she could "keep peace in the neighborhood."

Defense attorney David Martin Jr. asked that the case be dropped.

"This should never have been filed," Martin said. "This is not something that police should be wasting their time with or wasting the court's time."

The judge heard from both parties Tuesday. He decided to wait 90 days before ruling, saying he'll decide what to do after seeing how the boy and his neighbor get along in the meantime.

~I have to say, I don't blame the boy :o I think it's kind of funny! :o

I thought it was kinda funny, too. :o

Hahaha that is funny :p


''Meow meow'' ;)

It all depends on how he said it. And if he's admitting ot meowming twice, you know there were more meows involved. But it definately shouldn't be wasting court & police time. Haven't they heard of those mediators who are unbiased and help neighbors mend broken fences (bad pun, I know)

Pronally, the cat shouldn't have been unsupervised outside in the first place.

it is funny but what a petty thing to be filed by the courts!
ack!
If the family would have kept their cat in the house inside there wouldn't be a problem!

Oh for crying out loud, that woman needs to get a life. That is certainly a waste of the police's time. And believe me, Jeannette's police have enough to do; it's about 45 min. away from me and not the nicest area, so the police really do have real work to do there.

I'm sorry but that's rediculous. Meowing at her, even several times, really isn't harming her. She could just ignore it. He wasn't accused of harming her property or self, she is being rediculous. Who cares if he DID meow at her? The family got rid of the cat to a family member to keep the peace, it wasn't harmful to meow and really should never have gone to court. It's just rediculous. He only said he did it twice, but even if it WAS more, honestly, who freaking cares??? She is making a huge deal out of nothing.

How do we know the older lady isn't just petty and maybe even spiteful for some reason? We don't know that. Some are. I think it's wrong to judge the kid and accuse him of doing it more than twice, we have no idea if he did or didn't so I don't think anyone can just up and say he did, nobody was there to know. And yes I have three kids, and yes sometimes kid do lie, but even if he did, big freaking deal....MEOW. Never should have gone to court.

Ridiculous! This woman should be charged a fine for filing petty complaints. Make her pay for the police and court time spent on such a trivial issue. If this is the worst thing that has ever happened to this woman, she has lived a wonderful life! She needs to Get a Life!

What is this world coming to for goodness sake. I actually think it's funny. I'd love to find out where she lives so I can "meow" too. (laughs evily lol)

I'd love to her her phone number or e-mail address and send her "Meow" messages all the time!!
:o

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pitc9

I'd love to her her phone number or e-mail address and send her "Meow" messages all the time!!
:o

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Devious!
:rolleyes: At 78, she probably can't really even hear the kid. Somebody check her meds...seriously. My husband had an old woman neighbor that was always accusing him of horrible stuff -- it turned out she was wayyyyyyyy overmedicated.

:rolleyes: Yeesh! Kids will be kids, ya know??? Yes, he was being rude, but it's not like he was hurting anybody!! She shouldn't have made them get rid of their cat in the first place!!! :mad:

Hmmmmm, I didn't find any humor in it at all. The boy sounds like a brat and I'll bet he's done it more than twice. Sounds like he's got a cruel streak in him.

Also, unless you live away from people, I don't believe in letting cats run loose. Or, at least be outside with the cat.

MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!

I think we should send THIS to her! :D :D

(Sorry, but I'm feeling ORNERY today! ;) :D )

Deb

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Soapets

MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!

I think we should send THIS to her! :D :D

(Sorry, but I'm feeling ORNERY today! ;) :D )

Deb

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Hahaha! I'd bet she'd like that!

Quote:

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The boy's family got rid of their cat after Carasia complained that it was using her flower garden as a litter box.

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Well, if someone gets rid of their cat solely for that reason, then I don't think they should have had a cat in the first place. But still, this woman has just been wasting police time and I think she should just (very teenager like quote coming up here) GET OVER IT! :p

What law did this kid break?? He didn't go into her yard, he has a perfectly good reason to be in his own yard, and how can they even prove he was "meowing" to her?? Maybe he has some weird form of Tourrets Syndrome. :p I think it's a ridiculous law suit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dukedogsmom

Hmmmmm, I didn't find any humor in it at all. The boy sounds like a brat and I'll bet he's done it more than twice. Sounds like he's got a cruel streak in him.

Also, unless you live away from people, I don't believe in letting cats run loose. Or, at least be outside with the cat.

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I tend to agree with you Valerie.If you've ever raised boys, especially
boys around the teen or preteen age, then you know they can be awful
little brats sometimes. Most grow out of it.Heck, who knows maybe her
flower garden is all that brings her joy in life. Let the old woman be and
keep your animals out of her yard & on a leash.when outside.

Yes, on a more serious and more mature note than I posted earlier, I would think that if he knows that it bothers her, he should have stopped doing it. We don't know the whole story---there has to be a lot more to it than is being reported. The old lady might have some kind of mental health disorder that makes it difficult for her to just take this sort of thing lightly. The kid probably has a few problems himself, and he could be doing it in a cruel manner, just to harass her. I am just glad that I am not involved with it personally, and can sit back here and see the humor in it as well as the serious side of it!

Deb

Oh my gosh lady, get a life. And kid, be mature. :rolleyes:

I hate it when things as stupid as this get a bunch of attention. It was kinda funny, though.