DS1 has to see the police tomorrow...

[Storm Bride]

So - ds1 was walking to his guitar lesson tonight, and we got an unexpected phone call from him. It seems that he was walking along, and someone came up and asked him for drugs. He said that he didn't have any, and the guy said, "okay - I'll take your iPod" and threw ds1 up against a fence and tried to steal his iPod. When ds1 wouldn't cooperate, the guy head-butted him twice in the face. DS1 was afraid to fight back, because the guy also had a dog, which was batting at him.

DS1 eventually managed to get away and ran over to a nearby friend's house, where he called the police. While the police were talking to him, it came out that his friend (the house he was at) had also been jumped in the same spot in June. So, both boys have now been asked to come up to the police station tomorrow to check out a photo line-up and give their statements.

DS1's nose isn't actually broken. It's somewhat out of line, and may need to be set, but so far, he seems to be doing okay.

I'm not sure what to do now. We can't find a time slot for guitar that doesn't overlap with his sibling's nap, so I can't drive him, and I'm really not sure I want him walking around there if people are getting jumped all the time...

[babygrant]

I'm so sorry that happened to your ds. Sounds scary! That being said, I woul NOT let my child walk again. Who knows what else could happen.

[Flower of Bliss]

I'm so sorry that happened. I'm glad your DS is (mostly) ok.

[jellop]

Oh my! How scary! I'm so glad he's okay.

Hopefully the creep that jumped him will be in the lineup and end up in jail. The dog info should also come in handy IDing this guy. Does it seem like the guy who jumped your DS is the same guy who jumped his friend?

Is there any better route your DS could take, or is there a friend who could give him a ride?

Also, mace (pepper spray) is a great thing, even if he doesn't walk there anymore. Around here, they sell small keychain mace.

[theretohere]

Wow, how scary!

[Storm Bride]

He's been taking the path from the bus loop to his guitar teacher's house. It starts with the parking lot at the bus loop, then it's a cul-de-sac, then it's a walking path for about a block, then it becomes a street again. He was in the parking lot when he go jumped, which surprises me. If he was going to get jumped anywhere, I would have thought it would be the path (darker, not as public).

I'm actually really surprised that this is going on. I used to live just a block from the guitar teacher's house, and I walked that path to and from the bus loop twice every day for years. It was frequently after dark, and I never had a hint of a problem.

We really don't know who the guy is, but ds1 and his friend think it might be the same guy. They're both going up to the police station tomorrow to look at the pictures.

ETA: I meant to add that he's gonig to go a slightly different route...up the street from the bus loop, along the main street, and then down. It will add about two blocks to his walk, but he'll be out on main streets the whole time.