PUNK PRISON IS NOT FUN!
Probably what I looked like at the time!
It was about 13 years ago now, maybe 2:30 AM Sunday. I remember my heart pounding and the sound of a crash.
I will never forget this night, it started with my younger brother (14 Yrs Old) and his friends joking in the basement talking about the movie Gone In 60 Seconds and how crazy it was and you rally got to be a professional to pull off some of they thefts we saw in the film.
Was just boys having fun shooting the "shit" with buddies you know having fun. well that was until one of his friends "David" says, Dude they just built car dealership down the road from us, I bet is people wanted to take cars that would be the best place to START!
Now keep in mind this whole time I was just sitting down watching TV ("All That" Was On), but I was occasionally listening to what they were talking about just being the a big brother!
I kind of stopped paying attention after his friends were laughing at his buddy about his incredibly DUMB idea to mock the Movie and rob the Car Dealership down the road.
A few moments go by and I started to hear them say something that I really couldn't make out over the T.V. but the one thing I did hear nice and clear was, "So Are We Doing This?" I hear my brother and his friends agree on something and they get and head out side. I ran to the basement window and watched for a second, they all looked kind of nervous and I knew something was wrong. I ran outside and asked my little bro "Where You Going?" My brother said while biking away "Mind Your Damn Business Bro!" I was confused for a bit, he was getting older and a bit more SNOBBY but his response did throw me off a little bit.
Well with my gut instinct telling me "These Dumb Kids Are Gonna Rob The Dealership!" I started to wonder what I should do, Maybe i will go tell my MOM but she was sleeping it was late and oh man she was A MEAN LADY at night! So at the time the best option was just to go grab my bike catch up with my brother and his friends. The Dealership was not to far from the house but it was a nice distance even on a bike and I didn't want to get noticed so I decided to take the shortcut to the dealership along the woods and lake (Super Muddy Trails). When I got halfway shortcut I seen my brother and his friends bikes laying side by side in some bushes. I thought I seen my brother going the opposite way so I started to follow him, while I'm following far behind this person I believed is my brother. I hear a big crash, like someone just drove through a building! I begin to run through the trails and past the Homeless man I thought was my brother. I see the trail opening and side of the Newly Built car dealership, nothing looked bad so far. That was until I made it out of the woods and walked to the other side of the building were I see my brother on his knees holding his stomach and bleeding from his nose!
I FELT LIKE MY MOM!
I grabbed my brother by his shirt and yelled in his face "ARE YOU ALRIGHT!" he looked up and said he "Got The WIND Knocked Out Him" I said GOOD I helped him look for his shoe and helped him with his nose, his friends all were already long gone. I was so mad at him and couldn't believe his dumb friends would do something like this, I told him to go to the bikes and I was gonna look for his shoe. When my brother got into the woods I turned around and went to grab his shoe I seen it was in the road on front of the Dealership.
Should Have Just Left The DAMN SHOE!
Before I could even take a step towards the road to grab my brothers shoe I hear "DON'T FUCKING MOVE" First thing that comes to mind is "NO I DIDN'T DO IT" but then the second part was "SHIT I don't want my little brother to get in trouble" I swear it was only a total of maybe 3 minutes from the crash and I did not know how the cops get there so fast! Well either way it didn't matter. Before I can try to even start saying some crazy lie about what was going on here the cops threw me to the ground and said "WERE IS THE GUN" ????? I didnt have no gun and why are they asking me this!?!?! Well I guess the cops just happened to be inside of the gas station down the road from the dealership and someone that just happened to see the crash ran inside the GAS STATION and said "Somebody Just Tried To Steal A Car From The Dealership And A Gun Flew Into The Middle Of The Road After They Crashed!" of course the gun was my brothers SHOE and man! Can you imaagine what would have happened if they found me while I was grabbing the "GUN SHOE" that would not have been good!
I take The Blame
Well after I explain there was no gun, and them later finding the shoe in the road. They began to ask me all kids of questions, I was scared and mad at the same time, I just wanted to go home. They told me I was never gonna see home again! This wasn't my first time getting into trouble. I was already on probation because I thought it was so cool to drink underage and go for drunk walks. at night past curfew, but anyways I tell the cops it was all me, there was nobody else. The cop says " We Know Your Lying And If You Want To Go To jail For Your Dirtbag Friends SO BE IT" They put me into the back seat of the car and I went to sleep (Cried Myself To Sleep) They wake me up and take me into the Juvenile Detention Center.
Spent 3 Months In Juvy Before Sentencing.
(No Good Memories Here!)
Court Date Arrives.
My probation officer and Lawyer (Public Attorney) present me a plea deal saying if I let them know who else was there and where they are at they will reduce my sentence from Grand Theft and Burglury to just Joy riding, and I would only do 90 days in a habitual Offenders Program (Kids That Dont Behave) Inside teh Juvy and I wont have to serve time in
MAXEY (Punk Prison)
(I DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE!) (ACTUAL PHOTO)
I walk into the court room and I see my Mother, Stepdad, Sisiter, and Brothers (Both Younger 14yrs and 6yrs). The judge looks at me and says.
"Mr. Joe Ortiz You Seem To Think This Is Some Type Of Game!?"
"I dont wanna even bother hearing what you have to say, you have uncooperative with your Mother (She Didnt Know The Truth and Still Dont), Probation Officer, and Law Enforcement. Due to your lack for respect for our system I have no choice but to make a example out of you and hopefully your brothers and sister learn to not follow in your foot steps. You have already served 90 days of Debt Time (Time Served Before Sentencing) So I cant give you the max, so according to your guidelines here. i am going to sentence you to 3 months of HORP (Habitual Offenders Rehab Program) then once program is finished you be transferred as a Ward of The State to Maxey Placement Center (Punk Prison) to server an additional 200 days in the Juvenile Rehab program"
The worst part.
I tried not to cry, i knew what was expected, but the worst part was saying good bye to my MOM and looking her in the eyes and saying "Im SORRY" I felt like I failed myself, Failed, My Family, Just a BIG FAILURE and I deserved every bit of it! I knew I could have just said IT WASNT ME IT WAS HIM! But I guess that's how much I loved my brother. He was still clean (Had No Criminal Record) and him getting involved in the system was the last thing I wanted for him. Before I left the court room back to my cell. I turned to my brother and said "I Love You Little Bro, take Care Of Mom" I left with my head down tears fighting my face.
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