Tuesday Tidbits...
Another nice "soft" day here in Fort Wayne (yeah, raining nicely again, keeping the locals quieter than normal...always a welcome thing), and for a brief time this morning, there was NO radio traffic at all...
Didn't hear of ANY crime...no medics called for "trouble breathing" or anything else, NO vehicular accidents, no stray animals, no fires anywhere...so I'm like "WTF" is going on here?
Did I croak and go to HEAVEN?
(I'm not getting all my memos these days)
Then I realized, that Heaven should look just a bit different than our house...and our street.
I'm just sayin'...
After a fast pulse-check, assuaging my concerns over having passed and not had breakfast (yet - I would like to go on a full stomach), I confirmed that I am STILL among the living.
(unfortunately, that also means that so are most all of our "neighbors"...oh, joy)
Ah, well...it was nice while it lasted...LOL.
And yes, the radio was not off or broke...just a "lull in the excitement", for it wasn't long before I heard the all-too-familiar strains of city-life coming over the air...I should know better. Crime never takes a holiday...nor does stupidity.
Now, hold that thought, because we've got some stories to tell.
*** One of those house fires was not a GREASE fire...but ARSON (who knew?).
Here's the skinny on this:
(( Published: September 27, 2011 3:00 a.m.
Arson charge filed - The Journal Gazette
A man who got angry when he was asked to leave a residence returned and allegedly tried to burn the apartment building down.
Firefighters responded Sept. 20 to a small fire at the apartment complex in the 6400 block of Covington Road, according to court documents. During an investigation, an open gas tank was found in the apartment of David G. Jewell.
Firefighters also found an exterior wall of a nearby apartment burning. One of the apartment’s two occupants told police he saw Jewell splash a liquid on the outside wall and window and then ignite it, court documents said.
Jewell told police he was drinking with two people in the apartment and became angry when he was asked to leave.
He went back to his apartment took a gas can from his closet, exited the living room window, walked about 30 feet through the rear of the apartment complex and splashed gas on the window and side of the apartment and ignited it with his lighter, documents said.
Jewell was charged Monday with arson.
He is being held in the Allen County Lockup in lieu of $10,000 bail. ))
And that's the only charge on record for him...damn stupid if you ask me.
This is an instance where "no" meant NO...and he didn't listen.
And got an acute case of that Special kind of Stupid in the process.
(Check WAITING FOR GOD blog for reference to NO meaning NO, if you're wondering)
As usual, there is more...
*** This is a wonderful tale of theft, resisting, and happy endings.
(( Published: September 27, 2011 3:00 a.m.
TV set dropped as suspect bolts - The Journal Gazette
A Fort Wayne man was charged Monday after he tried to run from police when they spotted him walking down Wallace Street carrying a television.
Police saw Qualin A. Starks, 25, on Sept. 20 walking down the street with the 32-inch Samsung TV. When an officer approached, Starks began running with the TV, according to court documents.
Eventually Starks dropped the TV to jump a fence in his attempt to evade officers. He then broke down a locked door and forced his way into an apartment and told the residents to be quiet while Starks barricaded the door, court documents said.
Police later arrested Starks and he admitted to stealing the TV from a residence on Oaklawn Court.
Starks is currently being held without bail at the Allen County Lockup on an unrelated charge. ))
And this isn't the FIRST time Qualin has been a guest of the Allen county lockup...(and won't be the last, either):
02D04-0606-MC-001145 Starks, Qualin A 06/07/2006
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C. POSSESSION OF COCAINE
POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA
02D04-0606-FC-000137 Starks, Qualin A 06/12/2006
Allen Superior Court 5 FC - Class C Felony
Decided POSSESS COCAINE, NARCOTIC DRUG, OR METHAMPHETAMINE
POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA HASH OIL OR HASHISH
02D04-0606-CM-004345 Starks, Qualin A 06/26/2006
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided NEVER RECEIVE LICENSE
02D04-0802-CM-000954 Starks, Qualin A 02/19/2008
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided FALSE INFORMING (B)
PUBLIC INTOXICATION
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D06-1103-CM-001850 NA STARKS, QUALIN A 03/29/2011
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Pending 35-42-2-1.3(a)/MA: Domestic Battery
02D06-1108-CM-004794 NA
STARKS, QUALIN A 08/11/2011
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Pending 35-43-2-2(a)(1)/MA: Criminal Trespass
35-46-1-15.1(6)/MA: Invasion of Privacy - Viol No Contact Order As Condition Of Probation
35-42-2-1(a)/MB: Battery
02D05-1109-MC-002418 NA
STARKS, QUALIN A 09/21/2011
Allen Superior Court 5 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal (Citation)
Decided 35-43-2-1(B)(i)/FB: Burglary - Break And Enter Dwelling Of Another Person
35-43-4-2(a)/FD: Theft
35-44-3-3(a)(3)/MA: Resisting Law Enforcement
35-43-2-2(a)(1)/MA: Criminal Trespass
02D05-1109-FD-001283 Starks, Qualin A 09/26/2011
Allen Superior Court 5 FD - Class D Felony
Pending 35-43-4-2(a)/FD: Theft
35-43-2-1.5/FD: Residential Entry
35-44-3-3(a)(3)/MA: Resisting Law Enforcement
--And he was "involved" in a double shooting up at IPFW back in 2009. Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090101/LOCAL07/901010334/1043/LOCAL07
Also, Qualin has been pretty busy MOVING around our fair city since 2006:
Starks, Qualin A
4006 S. Calhoun St.
Fort Wayne, IN 46803
STARKS, QUALIN A
2714 MANFORD ST Fort Wayne, IN 46806
STARKS, QUALIN A
6008 TURTLE CREEK DR
Fort Wayne, IN 46816
Other Agency Numbers
378353 Protection Order Registry
Starks, Qualin A
357 French Ave
Fort Wayne, IN 46807
Other Agency Numbers
139977 Fort Wayne Police Department, 88955 Allen County Sheriff's Department
Starks, Qualin A
3714 South Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN 46807
Starks, Qualin A
Lagrante County Jail
0875 S Sr 9
Lagrange, IN 46761
Other Agency Numbers
139977 Fort Wayne Police Department, 88955 Allen County Sheriff's Department
Starks, Qualin A
3714 Southwayne Ave
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
Other Agency Numbers
139977 Fort Wayne Police Department, 88955 Allen County Sheriff's Department
Yes sir...nothing like a "hard-working" individual, life of the party, always joking...a good boy, never harm anyone.
Pretty good pile of bullshit he's got going on, isn't it?
We'll have to see if HIS revolving cell door is working properly...wouldn't want the "Goons" (affiliated gang) to get lonely without him, would we?
*** And lastly today, we wonder often about crime and the root causes of it, right?
We see shows, read the news, see the police in action...all the while we're told that crime is going DOWN.
So WHY are we seeing more of it?
Can we attribute it to the 24/7 news stations?
Perhaps, but suppose crime is not REALLY going down, but just that the number of crimes REPORTED is going down instead?
Well, that changes the whole game now, doesn't it?
If the criminal element can more easily intimidate others into NOT reporting crimes, then you DO have fewer crimes...of a sort.
The obvious crimes are just that...caught on camera, businesses robbed...stuff that makes the news.
We're always aware of those.
But what about the rape victim that is threatened within an inch of her life, and so never reports the crime?
And others who would just run away from crime, even when it hits home (burglaries, robberies, etc)?
We've seen the result...flight to the "burbs".
Guess what? The burbs are infested with the same human refuse NOW.
And we've only so many mountain tops to run to.
Our best recourse is to STAND OUR GROUND.
This was OUR neighborhood, or OUR city LONG before it became the domain of the common criminal.
But, it takes dedication...it takes vigilance, and it takes courage to wrest an area back from the edge of the cliff of apathy.
Above all, it takes an involved populace AND city to make it all happen.
You can honestly lower crime rates, but that thin blue line can't do it all alone.
Commitment is needed by the PEOPLE, who have a vested interest in their families and neighborhoods.
Anything less by anyone is fruitless, and will yield little if nothing.
Just something to think about.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there America.