As in other countries, many children in this country unfortunately face death and violence as well. So, today, I am offering some items that have come across my screen that show American Justice at is finest and which involve children.
One of the most heart-wrenching stories I have ever read is that of Antonio Santiago. On March 22, 2013, baby Antonio and his mother were walking in their neighborhood when the child was shot and killed during a robbery attempt.
Antonio Santiago
De’Marquise Elkins, 18, stood silent and showed no emotion as he was sentenced in a courtroom less than two weeks after a jury found him guilty of murdering 13-month-old Antonio Santiago during a robbery attempt….The baby was in his stroller and out for a walk with his mother when he was shot between the eyes on March 21 in the Georgia coastal city of Brunswick. West and a younger teenager charged as an accomplice testified at trial that Elkins killed the baby after his mother refused to give up her purse.Elkins was spared the death penalty because the killing occurred when he was 17, which the US supreme court has ruled is too young to face capital punishment. Under Georgia law, the only possible punishments for Elkins were life with or without a chance of parole.
Elkins’ co-defendant, Dominique Lang, offered chilling testimony about what happened when mother Sherry West refused to part with her purse:
Elkins asked for the purse again and West refused again, and Elkins began to count down from five again, Lang said. West still refused to give up the purse, and Lang said Elkins walked around the stroller toward her and shot at the ground and then shot West in the leg and asked for the purse again. Lang said he wasn’t sure what happened next but said Elkins had been pointing the gun at the baby and Lang heard a third shot. Then both teens took off running.
Another story, involving a hero dog who warned parents about an abusive babysitter, is a bit more uplifting:
The parents of 7-month-old Finn Jordan suspected something was wrong last year when their dog began to growl and snarl at the babysitter, Alexis Khan, 22.“We noticed the dog was getting very defensive when Alexis was around. He would growl and stand between her and our son. His hair would stand up on the back of his neck and we knew something was up,” Benjamin Jordan said….Killian, a black lab and German shepherd mix, was generally a docile and friendly dog and his behavior was out of the ordinary.
Finn’s parents secretly placed an iPhone under a living room couch, which revealed the abuse. The South Carolina babysitter was just convicted of child abuse.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY