Haydn+Gittemeier+2B

=__**Boy lit on fire by Bullies**__= By: Haydn Gittemeier

Five teenagers were charged with aggravated battery after pouring rubbing alcohol on a 15-year-old and setting him on fire because he stopped someone from stealing his father's bicycle.The victim, Michael Brewer suffered burns on his torso and arms and most of his hair.Michael Brewer's troubles started when one of the kids gave him a video game and wanted 40 bucks in return, Brewer never paid for the game, so the other teen tried to steal a $500 custom bike that belonged to Micheal's father.

Currently the victim is now breathing on his own, and Michael is expected to live, but has burns over most his body, and will probably live with pain for the rest of his life.

__Defendants:__

Matthew Bent, Denver Jarvis, Steven Shelton and Jesus Mendez and 13-year-old Jeremy Jarvis.

In the minds of these adolesents one can only wonder what they thought was fair and proper treatment. there idea of justice after Michael foiled the plans of the bicycle stealing scheme, was to light him on fire... Maybe this is something they learned from the video game? It scares me that serious crimes like this can occur with people as young as this, I like to think that people have the morals not to do this stuff.

//Matthew Bent, Denver Jarvis//

__Prosecutor:__

Micheal Brewer

Although the treatment was exceptionally harsh and totally wrong, one can only wonder for how long Michael owed the other boys $40 for the video game. However it very well seems that Michael has much more judgment skills to tell the athorities of the alleged bike theft plot.

//Micheal Brewer//

__Outcome:__

The five kids, 15-year-olds Matthew Bent, Denver Jarvis, Steven Shelton and Jesus Mendez and 13-year-old Jeremy Jarvis, were charged with aggravated battery in the attack. Mendez also was charged with attempted second-degree murder because it is thought that he was the one who ignited Michael, after the others had finished pouring the alcohol. The five were not charged as adults, and three of the accomplices have already been released from juvenile detention. I belive this ruling to be fair and that Michael needs all the justice he can get.

__Relevance to current study in English class__

This story is relevant to English class because it shows, that people who are not fully developed can get away with horrendous acts without much repercussion. I believe that this act was amplified by the fact that there was a large group of kids going after Michael, and that peer pressure and crowd mentality played a major role in the obscure judgment.in the process of researching this and many other storys involving teenage defendants, It makes me depressed that people as young as me kill and badly hurt each other. Recently I have a much greater apperication for life, and how we should enjoy it, because in the past year both by dad, and grandfather have died both of which I was very close to.

__Sources:__

Photo of defendants & Information: Story, R. (2009, October 14). //teens light 15-year-old on fire with rubbing alcohol over 40 dollars, then laugh about//. Retrieved from http://rawstory.com/2009/10/teens-light-15-year-old-on-fire-with-rubbing-alcohol-over-40-dollars/

Photo of Defendant: Smith, R. (2009, October 15). //Boy burned by bullies, mother says michael brewer staying strong//. Retrieved from http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://wwwimage.cbsnews.com/images/2009/10/13/image5382225x.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/15/crimesider/entry5385818.shtml&usg=__szTy150dvyCQz6e5NA_ZKcCAu9A=&h=278&w=370&sz=18&hl=en&start=2&sig2=gKwC4shJJygEVmYnFUFr7Q&um=1&tbnid=UPssPZOalPZ6qM:&tbnh=92&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dboy%2Bset%2Bon%2Bfire%2Brubbing%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=9rH8SoqqEZPj8QbUv4CEBw