Back in the spring there were a couple of armed robberies in the area. To some of you that may not sound like a big deal, but I'm from a really small area, and while places may get robbed here and there, it's still not common and a big deal when it does happen. These particular robberies happened on the same night, by the same couple. They were 'armed' with a syringe of what they said was AIDS infested blood. Basically, give me your money or I'll give you AIDS.
They robbed a video rental store and a hotel. A hotel very very close to the one I work at. I didn't bother me a whole lot when the story first got around the next day. I don't know why. It happened during the hours that I normally work, so it could've easily happened to me.
The woman has finally been sentenced, as I read in Thursday's paper. It didn't give any information on the male, but it was the woman who had the syringe anyway. The first time this worried me in anyway was when I read that she got sentenced to 14 months, with probation and community service afterwards. But 14 months. She gets ouf of jail when I go back to work after my maternity leave.
She didn't harm anyone while robbing, it was just the threat. So maybe this girl is harmless. Maybe she never would've been able to actually stab her needle into someone. But what if she was willing? What if either of the two workers that she robbed had resisted, or something hadn't gone her way? Is there really any way of knowing? Not really.
The article goes on about how she was in tears the entire time she was in court. She took complete responsibility for her actions and pleaded guilty. She hates what she did. The article said she was under the influence of cocaine at the time and that she suffers from depression and what not.
But what if she doesn't learn her lesson in 14 months? What if another day down the road she tries some cocaine again on a bad day and tries out the robbing thing again?
I don't think I'll lose any sleep over this, but while reading it I couldn't help but wonder 'what if'?
Do you think 14 months is enough jail time for armed robbery?
