The police department of Post Falls, Idaho, has their finger on the seedy underbelly of local crime: 9-year-olds who boldly flout the law and miss their court date.
The young perpetrator—unnamed by the police, since he’s a minor—had been caught shoplifting a pack of gum and then missed his court date twice. Prosecuting Attorney Barry McHugh issued an arrest warrant.
The 9-year-old menace to society sat in the Juvenile Detention Center for one day before being released.
The pack of gum cost $1.68.
Post Falls’ chief of police told KHQ it was the first arrest warrant for someone that young he had seen in 30 years of police work. “I was surprised that it had gotten to this level,” he said.
Apparently the family had no means of getting the boy to court, to which the chief of police replied, “Had we known that before the court date we would have provided something for the family.”
The prosecutor has since apologized for the arrest warrant, telling the New York Daily News, “It was a judgment call on my deputy prosecutor. I didn’t know about it until the arrest was made.”
“I regret this having taken place and will do everything in my power to avoid this type of mistake in the future,” he said.
The chief of police also expressed chagrin over the ordeal, as it received national attention. “We wish this never happened.”
