Man Faces Charges After Catching Alleged Vandals In The Act
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- A New York man is facing charges in connection with his efforts to stop a group of boys who were allegedly vandalizing his father-in-law's home while it was being renovated.
The boys are accused of causing havoc in the home, near Rochester, but now the man who caught them could be in trouble.
"I'm not regretful, I just thought I was doing the right thing," Jesse Daniels told CBS 2's Alice Gainer.
Daniels is facing charges for corralling four children, who ranged in age from 8 to 10 years old, in a closet. He told CBS 2's Gainer that he found the boys destroying the home with hammers, and that they had done an estimated $40,000 worth of damage.
"I'm very happy the children ... the kids didn't get hurt because porcelain shatters," Daniels said. "They barricaded the basements, so we had no access to the basement, cranked all the heat, and then smashed the outlets so we couldn't adjust it."
After hearing a noise coming from the house on the night of June 8, Daniels went to investigate while his wife called 911.
"I was fortunate that they were in that room that had a closet, so I put them in the closet," Daniels said.
Daniels added that he did not threaten the boys while waiting for authorities to arrive.
Still, others said that Daniels went too far.
"I understand they were in the wrong, but there are other ways to handle it," Paul Bowler, father of two of the boys said. "He knew who the kids were. It's not like they were strangers, and send the kids home and call the cops then. You don't sit there and torment them and tell them you're going to bash their skulls in with a hammer."
Daniels is facing child endangerment charges and is due in court in late June. The children have been charged with burglary and criminal mischief. Their cases have been referred to family court.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories
