12 year old boy charged for candy theft

By Elizabeth Dinan
SeaCoast Online
Jul. 13, 2007

YORK, Maine — A 12-year-old boy who was caught stealing a 25-cent candy cigar is being charged with criminal theft and has an August court date.

According to York police, at 4:47 p.m. on June 27, an officer was dispatched to Sweet Josie's Candy Shoppe in York Beach following a report about the theft of the candy stogie.

The boy, a Rochester resident, was charged with theft by unauthorized taking and is scheduled to appear in York County District Court on Aug. 20.

"I was trying to teach him a lesson," Josie's owner, Peggy Fennelly, told the Herald. "I said, 'Right now you're only stealing candy, but some day you might be stealing a car.'"

Fennelly, who owns the seaside shop known for old-fashioned penny candy, candied apples and her homemade fudge, polices her place with old fashioned values.

"Every kid I catch stealing in here — I don't care if it's a 10-cent piece of candy — I'm going to call the police," she said.

In the latest instance involving the Rochester minor, Fennelly said, "He learned his lesson."

The candy shop owner said she received three phone calls and a letter of apology from the boy, who reported his punishment at home as including a two-week donation of his allowance to charity, extra chores and a tighter rein.

"And you ought to see the handwriting," said Fennelly of the boy's written mea culpa. "It's cute as a button."

The letter, she said, expresses the boy's remorse "for what happened in the candy store" and his promise he "will never do anything like it again." The boy also wrote that his father described his theft as uncharacteristic and Fennelly believes that's true.

"This was his first time. He's never stolen before," she said. "He was with two other kids, and they were instigating him. I saw the whole thing, and told his mother they were a bad influence on her son."

Fennelly said she "felt so bad for the kid," she phoned police to ask them to "squash" the charge, but was told it's a done deal.

York Police Sgt. Martin Doherty said he wasn't familiar with the specifics of the case, but his department operates under general guidelines when dealing with petty crimes involving minors.

"A lot would depend on the child's attitude, the parents' attitude and if the child is remorseful," said Doherty. "And we take input from the property owner into consideration."

The police sergeant said if a child is a habitual offender, charging him or her is a way "to get them in the system" before they become involved in more serious crimes.

Fennelly said she plans to frame the boy's apology letter and hang it in her shop for all to see.