sarettah
10-09-2004, 10:02 PM
http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/175377
Four-year-old goes out for pizza run - Boy wanted energy to ride his bike down to Portland to meet dad
2004-10-09
Journal Staff
NEWCASTLE -- An early-morning pizza order aroused suspicion one day last week, bringing Newcastle police to the QFC store before dawn.
As it happens, at 3:30 a.m., a 4-year-old boy arrived at the store alone, left his bicycle at the front door, and asked the clerk where the frozen pizzas were. Then he asked to borrow money so he could buy one.
Police found the boy in the deli section, having Oreos and Sprite with one of the store clerks.
Upon interviewing him, they learned his name was Stephen and that he lived in a nearby apartment with his mother. He didn't know his phone number, or his address, except that there was a ``2'' on the front door, but did know his mother's full name.
An officer ran both names through his computer, but didn't find any records.
``Is that a computer,'' Stephen asked.
``Yes, it is,'' the officer said.
``Is it a Dell?''
``Yes, it is.''
``Oh, that's a good one,'' Stephen said.
Stephen continued: he wanted to go to Portland to visit his father, but he knew Portland was a long ways away, which is why he set out so early in the morning. He also knew it would take a ``lot of energy'' to bicycle to Portland, which is why he wanted to buy a pizza.
Stephen convinced the officers that he could show them his apartment, so Officer Scott Yamamoto loaded the bike into his patrol car and drove off with him. They found the apartment shortly afterward.
The front door to Stephen's unit was propped open with a pair of socks. He told the officer to be very quiet because his mother was sleeping. He also said he picked out his sneakers because they were his ``quietest shoes.'' He said Yamamoto's boots made too much noise.
Yamamoto knocked on the bedroom door to wake up Stephen's mother. He told the mother about Stephen's journey, and she said he had been talking about his father a lot lately.
Then Yamamoto said he would go get Stephen's bike out of his car, to which Stephen's mother responded, ``Stephen doesn't have a bike.''
``He does now,'' Yamamoto said.
It is still unknown where Stephen got the bike, King County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart said.
Stephen's mother was not talking to media after a television news crew showed up at her apartment Friday, making her angry, he added.
http://www.bntnews.com/local000001.htm
Four-year-old goes out for pizza run - Boy wanted energy to ride his bike down to Portland to meet dad
2004-10-09
Journal Staff
NEWCASTLE -- An early-morning pizza order aroused suspicion one day last week, bringing Newcastle police to the QFC store before dawn.
As it happens, at 3:30 a.m., a 4-year-old boy arrived at the store alone, left his bicycle at the front door, and asked the clerk where the frozen pizzas were. Then he asked to borrow money so he could buy one.
Police found the boy in the deli section, having Oreos and Sprite with one of the store clerks.
Upon interviewing him, they learned his name was Stephen and that he lived in a nearby apartment with his mother. He didn't know his phone number, or his address, except that there was a ``2'' on the front door, but did know his mother's full name.
An officer ran both names through his computer, but didn't find any records.
``Is that a computer,'' Stephen asked.
``Yes, it is,'' the officer said.
``Is it a Dell?''
``Yes, it is.''
``Oh, that's a good one,'' Stephen said.
Stephen continued: he wanted to go to Portland to visit his father, but he knew Portland was a long ways away, which is why he set out so early in the morning. He also knew it would take a ``lot of energy'' to bicycle to Portland, which is why he wanted to buy a pizza.
Stephen convinced the officers that he could show them his apartment, so Officer Scott Yamamoto loaded the bike into his patrol car and drove off with him. They found the apartment shortly afterward.
The front door to Stephen's unit was propped open with a pair of socks. He told the officer to be very quiet because his mother was sleeping. He also said he picked out his sneakers because they were his ``quietest shoes.'' He said Yamamoto's boots made too much noise.
Yamamoto knocked on the bedroom door to wake up Stephen's mother. He told the mother about Stephen's journey, and she said he had been talking about his father a lot lately.
Then Yamamoto said he would go get Stephen's bike out of his car, to which Stephen's mother responded, ``Stephen doesn't have a bike.''
``He does now,'' Yamamoto said.
It is still unknown where Stephen got the bike, King County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart said.
Stephen's mother was not talking to media after a television news crew showed up at her apartment Friday, making her angry, he added.
http://www.bntnews.com/local000001.htm