Article

2007-10-22 -Lurid Crime Tales-

Man Kicked, Beat Toddler Because He's 'Not a Morning Person'

EASTON, Pa. A man who admitted he beat his girlfriend's 2-year-old son offered an excuse that angered a judge: He said he's not a morning person.

"Oh. Well. Then that's okay. Case dismissed. You can go."

Juan Arreola, 20, pleaded guilty Friday to two counts each of endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment and simple assault. Prosecutors said while moving into a new apartment with his girlfriend on June 7, Arreola kicked her son out of the way, then squeezed the toddler's face. While looking after the boy three days later, he punched the boy twice, prosecutors said. Arreola's girlfriend brought the child to a hospital later that day, where he was diagnosed with bleeding around the brain. Photos show the boy with severe bruising on his face and back.

When Northampton County Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden asked Arreola Friday if that's how he regularly treated 2-year-olds, he replied: "I was working till midnight. I'm not a morning person."

McFadden said she was almost speechless. "You're going to look at me straight in the face and say 'I'm not a morning person,'?" she asked. The judge ordered Arreola to undergo psychological and psychiatric evaluations and set sentencing for Dec. 14. The maximum penalty is a state prison term of more than 20 years.

I don't suppose she can have him shot?

Bet he doesn't get more than five years ...

Posted by Fred 2007-10-22 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11135 views ] Top

#1 Bet he doesn't get more than five years ...

Fortunately, it doesn't take five years to get shanked. There's got to be a lifer family-man in there somewhere who can step up to the plate.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-10-22 00:40|| 2007-10-22 00:40|| Front Page Top

#2 Here's hoping he's bunked with Bubba, the morning person....

Posted by CrazyFool 2007-10-22 01:12|| 2007-10-22 01:12|| Front Page Top

#3 Here's hoping he's bunked with Bubba, the morning person....

... and noon person, and afternoon person, and evening person, and night person, and late-night person, and midnight person, and early morning person.

Posted by gorb 2007-10-22 02:40|| 2007-10-22 02:40|| Front Page Top

#4 So hang him at straight-up midnight.

Posted by Glinerong Guelph8969 2007-10-22 03:24|| 2007-10-22 03:24|| Front Page Top

#5 Here's hoping he's bunked with Bubba, the morning person....

At Morningwood Penitentiary?

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-10-22 03:32|| 2007-10-22 03:32|| Front Page Top

#6 Who is Bubba?

Posted by JFM">JFM 2007-10-22 06:23|| 2007-10-22 06:23|| Front Page Top

#7 Bubba - alpha male [color, race, creed optional - though as implied by the name, not of high intellectual capacity in prison situations who displays his dominance and marks his territory, to include your body parts, with his body part.

Posted by Procopius2k 2007-10-22 08:56|| 2007-10-22 08:56|| Front Page Top

#8 Oh, and "Bitch" - part of Bubba's territory, after he marks it.

Posted by Procopius2k 2007-10-22 09:00|| 2007-10-22 09:00|| Front Page Top

#9 "Hey Juan, ya gotta purty mouth"

Posted by Bubba">Bubba 2007-10-22 09:13|| 2007-10-22 09:13|| Front Page Top

#10 I wish I could say that I'm shocked, but I'm not.

If you ask any veterinarian, they will tell you that it is not safe to leave the offspring of a female with a male that is not their father, but is now mating with the female, unless you do it very slowly and carefully over time, with constant supervision. The rule applies to the vast majority of mammals and even non-mammals.

Of course, most people are shocked that you would ever compare animal behavior with human behavior, at least at first.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-10-22 09:18|| 2007-10-22 09:18|| Front Page Top

#11 oh, I think the animal behavior comparison is very appropriate

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-10-22 09:26|| 2007-10-22 09:26|| Front Page Top

#12 Some people are animals, and not humans.

Posted by Mike 2007-10-22 09:27|| 2007-10-22 09:27|| Front Page Top

#13 I'm not a morning person either.

Posted by danking70 2007-10-22 10:16|| 2007-10-22 10:16|| Front Page Top

#14 If you ask any veterinarian, they will tell you that it is not safe to leave the offspring of a female with a male that is not their father..

This is getting to the 'hate' male dialog. Check the number of women who off their own kids. It's not a monopoly by either gender. What is surprising is that we trade off death. Rather than removing the predatory from our presence, we allow them to remove other citizens. Guess who has the real power in society? In the Old Days[tm], the gentleman would be on a quick path to unquestionable harsh punishment. Instead we sacrifice other human beings, tolerating and excuse making the base behavior as demonstrated by "The judge ordered Arreola to undergo psychological and psychiatric evaluations". We need to find any excuse not to do what we know needs to be done. What we need to do is make sure that society as a whole clearly understands it is not and will not be accepted, regardless of color, race, creed, gender, sexual preference, etc. of the offender. Everyone has a syndrome of some sort as an excuse for bad behavior. I'm sure the hand wringers will find an excuse here.

Posted by Lumpy Thuper4799 2007-10-22 10:45|| 2007-10-22 10:45|| Front Page Top

#15 Hit the button too fast. Lumpy is moi.

Posted by Procopius2k 2007-10-22 10:46|| 2007-10-22 10:46|| Front Page Top

#16 If you ask any veterinarian, they will tell you that it is not safe to leave the offspring of a female with a male that is not their father.

Procopius, your point is well taken, but I also remember learning from BSA Youth Protection that the most statistically likely child abuser within a household is a single mom's live-in boyfriend who is not the father of the child.

Posted by Mike 2007-10-22 11:57|| 2007-10-22 11:57|| Front Page Top

#17 Some people are animals, and not humans.

Don't tar animals like that.

For the opposite of human is not the animal.
The opposite of the human is the demonic.

Rabbi Heschel

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-10-22 13:53|| 2007-10-22 13:53|| Front Page Top

#18 Being aware of the problem lends itself to a solution, that single mothers be cautious about having their children around "new" adult males they are developing a relationship with. It's a lot harder for an animalistic brute to behave like a civilized man, than for a civilized man to behave like an animalistic brute.

Especially when the kid has soiled his diapers, is crying and screaming uncontrollably, and doing so during the playoffs after having broken stepdaddy's bong.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-10-22 18:25|| 2007-10-22 18:25|| Front Page Top

#19 Bet his name is Abbe.

Posted by Icerigger">Icerigger 2007-10-22 19:56|| 2007-10-22 19:56|| Front Page Top

#20 Well, hell - I'm not a morning person either, and I don't do kids, BUT it would never cross my mind to do to a child what this clown did.

To do it to the clown, however.... >:-(

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2007-10-22 22:31|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/] 2007-10-22 22:31|| Front Page Top

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