Mom Turns in Juvenile Son for Theft—Again, Police Say

In January, we brought you the story of a vigilant mom who turned in her child to Collingswood Police after discovering items taken from a car burglary in his room.

A month later, authorities say, she did it again.

On Feb. 23, officers were dispatched to the Heights of Collingswood parking lot to investigate a report of a juvenile suspect trying to enter a parked motor vehicle. The caller advised that she was the individual's mother, and she had observed her son trying the doors of several parked cars in the lot.

Her son had told her he was leaving the apartment to finish his laundry, police said. After a period of time passed without his return, she looked out the window of her apartment and observed her son trying to enter three separate vehicles in the parking lot. She called police when she lost sight of him.

Police notified the owners of the vehicles; nothing was reported missing or damaged. The boy was charged on a juvenile petition with third-degree burglary to a vehicle, and was released to his mother pending a juvenile court date.

A little more than a week later, police say, the same juvenile was arrested in connection with a scooter theft in the 400 block of Richey Avenue.

On March 1, a resident of that street returned home and discovered his scooter was missing. The man decided to drive around the area to take a look around, and a few moments later, found the boy driving his scooter, valued at $100, at Richey and Collings.

The owner of the scooter detained him and then called the police. The juvenile was charged with theft, a disorderly persons offense, and was released to his mother.