What would you do?

[Copper]

Dad chases nude boy from daughter's room with pipe

Sep 12, 11:39 AM (ET)

DELTONA, Fla. (AP) - An angry Deltona father whacked his teenage daughter's boyfriend with a metal pipe after finding the boy naked in his daughter's room. Authorities say the father, 45, didn't even know his daughter had a boyfriend or that the youngster had been sneaking into the home for more than a year.
When he heard noises coming from his daughter's bedroom Thursday morning and saw a stranger standing naked on the girl's bed, he swung a metal pipe. He then chased the teen out the front door and called police.
The boy was taken to the hospital where doctors closed a head wound with staples.
The father was charged with aggravated battery on a child and bonded out on $10,000.

[final_t]

Given that the girl was hiding her actions for a year indicates that she knew in advance how her father would react, as witnessed by the head trauma.
Any *normal* parent would have known in advance that she was seeing someone.

[cabinetman]

It didn't say that the daughter was even in the room at the same time, or even in the house. If the boy was there all by himself, the father had his rights to protect himself and his property from an unknown intruder.

Just another slant to the story.
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[radhak]

what would i do? too many things come to mind
- use flat wooden paddle, not metal pipe. same pain, less evidence
- head injury, that snit becomes a 'victim'. lotsa other parts to target (particularly if he is naked); preference - make it tough for him to sit for a week.

after all the above, I would have grabbed him, locked him in a closet, thrown his clothes out the back-window, called the cops, and before the cops arrived would have made sure to arouse the neighbourhood so they'd want to gawk at this 'intruder' when he is marched out of the house, and refused him any covering from within my home.

but first, what are the contact details where i can send in my contribution for that father's legal defence ?

[crokett]

You mean Florida still doesn't have the castle doctrine? That basically says the father could do what he did and the prosecutor has to prove he acted unreasonably.

If I saw a naked man standing in my daughter's room I'd go after him with a metal pipe too.

[shoottx]

You mean Florida still doesn't have the castle doctrine? That basically says the father could do what he did and the prosecutor has to prove he acted unreasonably.

If I saw a naked man standing in my daughter's room I'd go after him with a metal pipe too.

1st State to pass the Castle Doctrine. It works as a defense not a preemptive rule for stopping arrest.

[germdoc]

Sounds like he hit him on the wrong body part...

The dad might have a hard time claiming self-defense, I mean, we know the kid didn't have a concealed weapon.

In all seriousness, having had 2 teenage daughters, I don't know what I would do, hopefully will never happen, but I doubt I would hit the kid with a pipe. Call his parents for sure. I doubt I would call the law, because it would lead to a whole bunch of embarassing questions for everyone.

[Uncle Cracker]

Castle Doctrine allows use of violence and/or deadly force to protect one's person, family or property, but there must be evidence that there was a reasonable danger. A naked kid in your house may not necessarily represent same. If there's a rape in progress, certainly so. If the "activity" is consensual, probably not. It's up to prosecutors to analyze the variables and decide whether to file charges, and then a jury to decide guilt. There is a lot of latitude in the law, but there is still a line that cannot be crossed. It will be interesting to see how this one turns out.

[cgallery]

(1) Take pictures. (2) Claim loss of camera/phone. (3) Upload pictures to Internet.

[radhak]

...we know the kid didn't have a concealed weapon...

There was room for doubt when Mae West asked, "...is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

No doubts here - no 'concealed' weapon !!

[Hellrazor]

The dad might have a hard time claiming self-defense, I mean, we know the kid didn't have a concealed weapon.

He had a gun.... (This is a rifle, this is a gun... )



It doesn't list the boys age. But can you tell the difference between a 16 year old and 20 year old in the dark? Should it matter if he was found nude in the house?

[Pappy]

Age came to my mind, too. Since the charge was "aggravated battery on a child" I would have to assume he was under 17. At least in Texas that is the age when the law considers you an adult.

Personally, I think locking him in a closet and having his mother come get him would be fun. Either her or the cops, but just as he was found.

My granddaughter is only 10. My son is her step father only because there is no blood relation. As far as both of them and his wife are concerned she is his daughter. I would lay odds that a boy found in the same situation in his house is guaranteed not to reproduce! He's big, mean when he gets his dander up, and has 2 Pit Bulls!

Edit: I did a little further reading. This happened at 4 AM when dad got up to let the dog out. Both kids were 15. The boy rode his bike home and his sister took him to the hospital later, so the injury wasn't all that bad. He's lucky Daddy had pipe instead of a gun!

[crokett]

1st State to pass the Castle Doctrine. It works as a defense not a preemptive rule for stopping arrest.

I understand but where I come from the police can't arrest anyone willy-nilly. A prosecutor has to go to a judge to get an arrest warrant. Castle doctrine puts the onus on the prosecutor to prove there is enough evidence for the warrant, not for the homeowner to prove that there is not. .

I guess the question is, if you saw a naked male in your daughter's bedroom, would you act first or ask questions? I believe I would act first. Probably not with lethal force but certainly enough to get him to think about leaving in a hurry. I don't know what he is doing there, whether it is consensual and I don't know what his intentions are.

[Uncle Cracker]

Here's a twist... Nobody so far has put any blame on the daughter... I know in a father's eyes, his "little girl" can do no wrong, but we were all teenagers once, and know that it takes two to tango...

[herb fellows]

It didn't say that the daughter was even in the room at the same time, or even in the house. If the boy was there all by himself, the father had his rights to protect himself and his property from an unknown intruder.

Just another slant to the story.
.

If there's a nude teenage boy standing up in my daughters bed, alone, I would probably be on the floor laughing! Perhaps call the 'white coat' guys? I really wouldn't know what to think if he was there alone, so I'm going to assume she was also there.

I think I'd tell him to get dressed and go home. YOUR daughter, who YOU raised, has to take some responsibility here. Maybe it's time to figure out why she felt she had to sneak behind your back for a year. A little self examination perhaps?