Red Flags are Red Flags

 

A couple of days ago I wrote about the kid who took the butcher knife to school and was hiding in the hydrangea bushes by my garage. The kid, who the "professionals" are advising  be in a residential treatment center for psychological help and guidance but his mom insists that he will be well supervised at home.

Saturday, I was backing out of the driveway and saw the the young man on his bike. He saw my car,  made a quick u-turn and hid behind a large motor home parked a couple of doors down. His head was peeking out from behind the vehicle as I drove down the street. I stopped at the intersection and sat for 10 minutes watching through my rear view mirror. He continued to hide and occasionally peek out to see if my car was gone.

I had an appointment in Bella Vista for a photo shoot but was worried that I had left our three dogs in the backyard. I didn't want the kid teasing or taunting them.

I tried calling one of the neighbors to ask them to keep their eye out for "anyone" harassing or teasing the dogs.

The photo shoot took a little over an hour in a pretty isolated little valley. My cell phone didn't have any reception. Heading home, I turn onto the highway.  My phone goes a little crazy; one call from scary-kid's mom and three calls from my grandson just seconds apart. I pull over and call grandson back.

He is at my house! Apparently scary-kid and his brother were agitating the dogs and one of the dogs broke through the fence. Dog only went into yard next door but there are so many "what ifs" that I don't want to think about. What if dog got out in street and was hit by car? What if dog got lost? What if boys had fallen in the yard and been hurt?

This kid is supposed to be under his mother's supervision; he lives about 5 blocks away! His mother cannot see him nor supervise him around two corners and five blocks!

So, all you psychology-types, I need your advice!  What do I do?

I will be calling his mother this morning to tell her that it is unacceptable that he come to my house, especially because he was so overtly devious in his approach. I changed my wifi passwords so he can't sit in the bushes playing games.

What about the kids in the neighborhood? What do we do to protect the kids and pets in the neighborhood?  If he found the butcher knife his mother felt she had to hide, will he find them again?

If he was so excited to be on the television news, like the kids he saw who were famous for killing others, will he stop before he makes the six o'clock news?

Red flags are red flags...he needs help before he hurts someone or hurts himself.