mynameis
02-07-2009, 09:07 PM
Ohio teen sentenced in parking lot noose attack
AP
Wed Jun 17, 9:31 pm ET
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – A central Ohio teenager accused of putting a noose around a Hispanic boy's neck and dragging him in a parking lot has been sentenced to 10 days in jail.
The 18-year-old was sentenced Wednesday in juvenile court in Mount Vernon, a city of 15,000 residents an hour's drive northeast of Columbus. He dropped his original plea of not guilty and pleaded no contest to ethnic intimidation.
A charge of aggravated menacing was dropped.
Seventeen-year-old Robert Cantu says in May 2008 he was dragged from a sidewalk to a parking lot with the noose wrapped around his neck by a group of teenagers shouting racial slurs. He says the teens threatened to hang him before a bystander intervened.
His family says it plans to sue the city, dubbed the state's Most Livable Community in 1994.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090618/ap_on_re_us/us_parking_lot_noose_attack
By Tanya Hutchins
Digital Journalist
Published: June 16, 2009
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio—A local teen is recovering after he said a noose was placed around his neck and he was dragged in a case of alleged ethnic intimidation.
NBC 4 reported with the FAST FACTS.
Robert Cantu said four people put a noose around his neck and dragged him from the sidewalk on South Main Street to an adjacent parking lot in May 2008.
“These guys were in the back of a truck with a noose and they jumped out and said, ‘Get the black kids’ and they all ran and then they said, ‘Get the spic.‘ So they jumped on me, pulled me down and put the noose on me,“ said Robert, who is a Latino.
Robert’s mother, Marcie Cantu, said they also told her son they were going to take him to a park to hang him.
Two of Robert’s friends and a passerby rescued the 17-year-old, Robert’s mom said.
She said they saved her son’s life.
“They would have killed him. They would have killed him. There’s no doubt in my mind,“ she said.
Assistant Prosecutor Charles T. McConville is handling the case said one person has been charged with ethnic intimidation.
He said it’s the first ethnic intimidation charge that anyone can remember in Knox County.
He wouldn’t comment further on the case because it’s an ongoing investigation.
A trial was scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday for suspect Dale Cline. Judge Ronk will preside over the court.
Marcie told NBC 4 McConville said Cline was expected to plead guilty.
Marcie said the incident is the second hate crime against her son. Last year, someone captured the beating of Robert on a cell phone.
She said her family has endured prejudice since they’ve lived in Mount Vernon.
The Cantu family said they want to bring attention to the issue so that hate crime will be taken seriously. They’ve contacted the anti-defamation league.
Marcie wanted to know why the charge isn’t attempted murder or assault and why others haven’t been charged.
She said more victims of ethnic violence need to speak up to prevent the same from happening to others.
“The police department doesn’t do anything, and if I would have done that to someone else, like a white kid, I would be in jail right now,“ Robert said.
The Mount Vernon police continued to investigate.
http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/crime/article/Teen_dragged_with_noose/16683/
AP
Wed Jun 17, 9:31 pm ET
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio – A central Ohio teenager accused of putting a noose around a Hispanic boy's neck and dragging him in a parking lot has been sentenced to 10 days in jail.
The 18-year-old was sentenced Wednesday in juvenile court in Mount Vernon, a city of 15,000 residents an hour's drive northeast of Columbus. He dropped his original plea of not guilty and pleaded no contest to ethnic intimidation.
A charge of aggravated menacing was dropped.
Seventeen-year-old Robert Cantu says in May 2008 he was dragged from a sidewalk to a parking lot with the noose wrapped around his neck by a group of teenagers shouting racial slurs. He says the teens threatened to hang him before a bystander intervened.
His family says it plans to sue the city, dubbed the state's Most Livable Community in 1994.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090618/ap_on_re_us/us_parking_lot_noose_attack
By Tanya Hutchins
Digital Journalist
Published: June 16, 2009
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio—A local teen is recovering after he said a noose was placed around his neck and he was dragged in a case of alleged ethnic intimidation.
NBC 4 reported with the FAST FACTS.
Robert Cantu said four people put a noose around his neck and dragged him from the sidewalk on South Main Street to an adjacent parking lot in May 2008.
“These guys were in the back of a truck with a noose and they jumped out and said, ‘Get the black kids’ and they all ran and then they said, ‘Get the spic.‘ So they jumped on me, pulled me down and put the noose on me,“ said Robert, who is a Latino.
Robert’s mother, Marcie Cantu, said they also told her son they were going to take him to a park to hang him.
Two of Robert’s friends and a passerby rescued the 17-year-old, Robert’s mom said.
She said they saved her son’s life.
“They would have killed him. They would have killed him. There’s no doubt in my mind,“ she said.
Assistant Prosecutor Charles T. McConville is handling the case said one person has been charged with ethnic intimidation.
He said it’s the first ethnic intimidation charge that anyone can remember in Knox County.
He wouldn’t comment further on the case because it’s an ongoing investigation.
A trial was scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday for suspect Dale Cline. Judge Ronk will preside over the court.
Marcie told NBC 4 McConville said Cline was expected to plead guilty.
Marcie said the incident is the second hate crime against her son. Last year, someone captured the beating of Robert on a cell phone.
She said her family has endured prejudice since they’ve lived in Mount Vernon.
The Cantu family said they want to bring attention to the issue so that hate crime will be taken seriously. They’ve contacted the anti-defamation league.
Marcie wanted to know why the charge isn’t attempted murder or assault and why others haven’t been charged.
She said more victims of ethnic violence need to speak up to prevent the same from happening to others.
“The police department doesn’t do anything, and if I would have done that to someone else, like a white kid, I would be in jail right now,“ Robert said.
The Mount Vernon police continued to investigate.
http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/crime/article/Teen_dragged_with_noose/16683/