Would you sneak into a teenage girl's bedroom at 2AM if it was for The Greater Good?

[lobotomyboy63]

Judging from your spelling (neighbour, humour), you’re not a native of the U.S.

I applaud your concern for the children. I would have called the police, but not 911 (which is strictly for emergencies). Look up and use the “regular” number, since nobody’s bleeding or anything.

If you’re feeling altruistic, I’d gently let the mother know that the teen was asleep (literally) at the switch and that, not knowing the score, you called the police to make sure the kids would be okay. But really, if you don’t go out of your way to tell her, I’m okay with that too.

IMO there’s no good reason for a young child to be on the street late at night. There’s the child’s safety, the fact that neighbors have to work the next day, yadda. If their mother doesn’t like it that you called the police, tough buns. It’s incumbent on her, not you, to entrust them to someone whom she trusts to be responsible and mature.

[Dangerosa]

@lobotomyboy63

I applaud your concern for the children. I would have called the police, but not 911 (which is strictly for emergencies). Look up and use the “regular” number, since nobody’s bleeding or anything.

That isn’t universal. Years ago I arrived home to discover my door broken and my TV gone. Not an emergency, so I call my local precinct. Who tells me to call 911, they take all calls through 911.

[DrDeth]

You did right. Now, if there was screaming like a murder was being commited, then you can run in. Otherwise, call the cops.

[lobotomyboy63]

@Dangerosa

That isn’t universal. Years ago I arrived home to discover my door broken and my TV gone. Not an emergency, so I call my local precinct. Who tells me to call 911, they take all calls through 911.

Judgment call, I suppose. In more populous areas, I’d call a local number but in smaller towns, 911 might be the default in the wee hours. Touché.

[StGermain]

I’d probably stand at the door and yell, but if I’d gotten such unsatisfactory answers I’d’ve still called the police. Does anyone know if the poor kids were fed?

StG

[clairobscur]

@Arnold Winkelried

Background:

:eek: :mad:

Q: What would you have done? Gone inside the house to check or call the police?

FWIW, I would have done both.

[eleanorigby]

Poor Jill. Poor Johnny.

I would have done what you did do, but I think I would have waylaid the “mom” the next day and told her. I hope their new neighbors in their new neighborhood are as kind as the ones they left behind.
I still say there should be a license to breed.

[Rick]

@Caffeine.addict

I’ve never been in California and I know little of California law.

Every person who enters any house, room, apartment, tenement, shop, warehouse, store, mill, barn, stable, outhouse or other building, tent, vessel, as defined in Section 21 of the Harbors and Navigation Code, floating home, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 18075.55 of the Health and Safety Code, railroad car, locked or sealed cargo container, whether or not mounted on a vehicle, trailer coach, as defined in Section 635 of the Vehicle Code, any house car, as defined in Section 362 of the Vehicle Code, inhabited camper, as defined in Section 243 of the Vehicle Code, vehicle as defined by the Vehicle Code, when the doors are locked, aircraft as defined by Section 21012 of the Public Utilities Code, or mine or any underground portion thereof, with intent to commit grand or petit larceny or any felony is guilty of burglary. As used in this chapter, “inhabited” means currently being used for dwelling purposes, whether occupied or not. A house, trailer, vessel designed for habitation, or portion of a building is currently being used for dwelling purposes if, at the time of the burglary, it was not occupied solely because a natural or other disaster caused the occupants to leave the premises.

To me it looks like the entry is all that is required. While you know that you were going in to tell her that her siblings were outside, the cop might not know. Why take chances.

From here.

Read for detail. It is only burglary if you enter with intent to steal.

[ready29003]

I would walk into the house and wake up that 17 year old girl…

…but only if I was in a situation where there was no such thing as a police force, like a warzone, or in the middle of a zombie attack, …or alien attack…or something like that…

Otherwise, I do exactly what you did and call the police.

[Acid_Lamp]

I would have called, and asked permission of the police to yell in the doorway for the girl, thus covering my ass, and hopefully resolving the situation without needing to hang around for the cops. Chances are they would probably tell me no, but it doesn’t hurt to ry and save some time all around.

[threemae]

@Rick

Read for detail. It is only burglary if you enter with intent to steal.

And, as stated in the original quote, the doors are locked, or it’s an airplane or mine (which presumably don’t have locks). I’m not a lawyer either, but the relevant code to me seems to point to the opposite interpretation from Caffeine.addict in that it only counts if the thing is locked and you’re doing it for a naughty reason.

[John_Carter_of_Mars]

@Diogenes the Cynic

I’d go in the house. I don’t give a shit.

After all these years, I finally agree with Doggy Knees about something. Unreal!

Out here where I live, people still handle things like this themselves. You only call The Law if somebody’s already dead.

[Wile_E]

Although I think what you did was fine, I wonder why no one rang the doorbell to try to get the teenager out. No doorbell? How about knocking? How about going around to her bedroom window and pounding on it?

[Santo_Rugger]

@Dangerosa

That isn’t universal. Years ago I arrived home to discover my door broken and my TV gone. Not an emergency, so I call my local precinct. Who tells me to call 911, they take all calls through 911.

Hell, I’ve lived in a town small enough that you called 911 to get your water turned off it was leaking, or back on if you didn’t get it fixed until after the city offices shut down.

[Magiver]

@RickJay

Trespassing, obviously.

Your ethical duty was to ensure the immediate safety of the children, which you did by waiting and calling the police. You did the right thing. Entering the house was not necessary to accomplish that, and may have subjected you to danger - what if the girl had had a knife or a gun and thought you were an intruder?

I agree. I can’t believe society has degenerated to the point that the kids weren’t immediately taken into custody as well as the 17 year old for failure to take care of them. Clearly she was left in charge. AFAIC the teenager was negligent (fill in your best guess as to why). The police had no business leaving her in charge.

Unf***ing believeable.

[Magiver]

@John Carter of Mars

After all these years, I finally agree with Doggy Knees about something. Unreal!

Out here where I live, people still handle things like this themselves. You only call The Law if somebody’s already dead.

The mother is 0 for 2 with this problem and you have no idea who or what is in the house. Getting into a pissing match with a hill-jack is a waste of time. Been there, done that. If it was someone I knew and their teenager was screwing up I would trespass but chances are you will be dealing with someone who accuses you of trespass. I’ll only do that if I hear someone screaming for help or there is some indication a person is in distress.

[elbows]

I’m with Wile E and StGermain, you go ahead, call 911, but no way am I standing quietly by, that’s just not going to happen.

I’d be up at that door opening it and closing it, loudly, and calling out, loud enough to wake the dead.

[Lobelia_Overhill]

@Arnold Winkelried

What does “slotted you” mean?

WAG shot, or possibly, stabbed.

I’d had thumped on the door and yelled till someone came out of the house, then told them I was calling the police/social services if they didn’t take care of the two smaller kids.

Then I’d have run away and hid

[lieu]

I think I would have asked the new neighbor wife if she was comfortable going into the house and calling out to the sister while you and the new neighbor husband stood there with the kids. If that didn’t rouse her, then call the police.

Regardless, this situation is going to play out over and over again wherever they move to in one incarnation or another. Sad.

[Dung_Beetle]

Aw fuck. Good luck, kids.