12-year-old Michigan girl charged with attempted robbery, needed cash for family’s mortgage

[Hannah Bell]

An event last Friday night in Highland, Michigan—a quiet, semi-rural community 35 miles northwest of Detroit—provides a chilling glimpse of American reality. A 12-year-old girl allegedly walked into a small grocery store armed with a loaded hand gun with the aim of getting money to help her mother pay a house mortgage.

The child is in the sixth grade and turned 12 a month ago. When the attempted robbery was first reported, authorities said they would charge her as an adult, but adult charges are not currently being sought. If she had been charged with armed robbery as an adult, she could have faced up to life behind bars.

Employees at the market—who recognized her because she frequently shopped there—overpowered the girl, took away her handgun and held her down until the police arrived. She can be heard sobbing in the background on the 911 emergency call. No one was injured in the incident.

The girl’s father told the media he and his wife are currently going through a terrible divorce. One can only imagine the pressures that may be bearing down on this family.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/apr2011/high-a21.shtml

[LAGC]

1. Rough.

Economic realities are creating a new breed of criminal, and causing kids to grow up way too fast.

A pre-teen girl... to feel she had to resort to armed robbery. "Tragic" is an understatement here...

[Citizen Worker]

2. There will be more of these kinds of actions. When you have nothing left to lose, you lose it.

[SpiralHawk]

3. You can blame this on Republicon Family Corporate Values

Basturd Republicons have driven Americans to this shit...