Mom Charged After Son Stole $22,000 From Neighbor's Safe

[Kor37 9]

Police: Mom charged after son stole $22,000 from neighbor's safe

AP

Posted: 2008-03-05 14:09:42

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. (AP) - A boy stole $22,000 from a neighbor's safe and used the money to dole out $100 bills to his middle school classmates and finance a Wal-Mart spending spree for his mother, police said.

 

After finding out where the money came from, the 38-year-old mother, Wendy Mae Lizardi, allegedly told the boy to break into the neighbor's home again to return the stolen loot.

 

Lizardi was charged last week with receiving stolen goods and with corruption of minors.

 

"Oh my gosh, I am so devastated, you do not understand," Lizardi told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "I am sick. I can't eat. I can't sleep. It's a nightmare."

 

Police said the 14-year-old boy, whose name was not disclosed in court papers, confessed to taking the money out of his neighbor's home in Bloomsburg. Lizardi reportedly told investigators she became suspicious and found cash under his mattress. Police said Lizardi told her son to break into the neighbor's home and return the money.

 

Lizardi's lawyer, however, said she only told her son to "take the money back."

 

"We deny that she committed a crime," said the lawyer, Greg Moro. "We don't think that it rises to the level of a crime as it relates to her."

 

Lizardi, who is unemployed, believed her son had earned the $400 that was spent at Wal-Mart by performing odd jobs, Moro said.

 

Moro said the boy may been trying to become more popular at school.

 

"You can certainly do that by giving $100 bills out to people," Moro said.

 

Bloomsburg Middle School Principal Lee Gump called police Jan. 30 to report a possible theft and told investigators he got conflicting stories from Lizardi and the boy.

 

Moro said some money was returned to the neighbor, and it is unclear how much money was lost.

 

[Gummy 0]

Kor said it best.

[TJ Phaserman 2]

W....T....F?!!!!

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I'd like to know what "odd jobs" pay $400.

[Gummy 0]

I'd like to know what "odd jobs" pay $400.

Yeah.

And where can I find one of those.

[trekz 7]

A 14 year old boy steals from a neighbor and his mother tells him to return the money, rather than taking parental responsibility and returning the money herself. She did not act in a responsible way, nor apparently adequately supervise her child nor see that he was raised to respect property rights of others. There is blame on both their parts that requires serious consequences imo.

[LordOfTheBorg 1]

lol, all i could tihnk through this is "why didn't they pay someone to braek into the house to put the money back?". it make s alot more sense. then you can just call the cops while the guy is breaking in, and BAM, they caught their man and you walk away like an innocent angel... haha, im a genius.

[TJ Phaserman 2]

lol, all i could tihnk through this is "why didn't they pay someone to braek into the house to put the money back?". it make s alot more sense. then you can just call the cops while the guy is breaking in, and BAM, they caught their man and you walk away like an innocent angel... haha, im a genius.

 

i take it you've done it before?

[Theunicornhunter 2]

A 14 year old boy steals from a neighbor and his mother tells him to return the money, rather than taking parental responsibility and returning the money herself.

 

I think having the child return the money is the right thing to do - but she should have gone with him and they should have used the front door - ie talked to the neighbor about what happened. But she sounds like a loser parent.