Robbed

Last night Annie and I were woken up by our Japanese student, Ryo, calling for my name. I emerged from my bedroom to find him standing in the entryway with another guy standing next to him. Ryo looked messed up. Here's what happened:

Ryo left the bus stop at the mall and was making his way home on his bike. At around 11:15 pm he was crossing an intersection - still biking - when a guy appeared from nowhere and punched him in the face, knocking him off his bike. A group of guys - around 4 - 5 of them - then surrounded him, kicking and punching him. They continued until a car pulled over. They then took his backpack and bolted. Per Ryo's recollection, they left in a car. They guy who pulled over helped Ryo get up, put his bike into his car and then drove him home. He was a Target employee who happened to be driving by when it happened.

Get this, though - the guys who attacked and robbed Ryo were around 10 - 12 years old! Thug kids assaulted my student and stole his backpack - including his wallet, electronic translator, and ID! They looked to be Hispanic, according to the Target good Samaritan. Annie called the police, and by 11:30 we had four firefighters, two paramedics, and police officer in our house. Ryo suffered some cuts and scrapes, both from falling off his bike and from the beating. All his vitals were fine, so he declined being taken to the hospital. Poor guy!

What really makes me mad is that this isn't the first time our students have fallen prey to criminal elements in our town. My sister-in-law's students have had a bike stolen, and the other was a victim of a hit and run! These students, all of whom are good guys, are going to go home with tales of how dangerous the U.S. is. This kind of stuff just doesn't happen in Japan.

We filed a police report, but no one seemed very hopeful that these punks are going to be brought to justice.