12 year old commits $200,000 worth of damage (by anon)

A 12 year old in Plainfield, Illinois was charged with setting over 10 cars on fire and also causing $100,000 in damage to homes in the area.  I just can’t believe what the world has come too when a 12 year old boy goes around and starts setting cars on fire.  The police say, “He did not know what he was doing and had tunnel vision”.  I agree that the boy is only 12 years old but he definitely knew what he was doing.  I am 22 years old so I know that I have been a long ways down the road from being classified as a “juvenile” but I am upset that this kid is just going to get off from doing this crime because he was a juvenile.  I don’t know if it’s the things that kids are watching on TV now a days or what but most kids don’t go around setting cars and houses on fire.  I feel that a juvenile should not be treated any different than a grown adult because look at this fact, if you murder someone and your 12 years old it’s the same as if your 22 years old.  Just because one of the two people is not an “adult” yet doesn’t mean he should be treated any different for a terrible crime.  Don’t get me wrong, if it was a crime such as stealing a candy bar from a store then I don’t care if you charge a juvenile a different way then an adult but were not talking about just stealing a candy bar here.  

 I personally feel as you may have already guessed by reading my previous statements that I wish the kid would be charged as an adult for what he did.  I can guarantee you that the woman who’s house now has $100,000 fire damages to it would be supportive of him being charged as an adult.  If the court is going to try him as a minor and give him a lesser charge then they should mandate he goes to counseling or get some sort of mental help.  The story says that he stayed with his foster family, well then where is this family when he is going around starting cars on fire to see “how big the flames could get”.  Some may feel that I am being to hard on this kid because he is only 12 years old, but I can tell you right now that I don’t care what sort of parent I will be to my kids but I guarantee they will never be going out and setting fire to random cars.  I just feel that this kid should be charged as an adult for the crime he has committed and that’s all I have to say about it.