Boy who dropped shopping cart on woman ordered held

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

A judge has refused to release a 13-year-old boy who dropped a shopping cart onto shoppers’ heads after a lawyer described him as a troubled kid who hit his mother’s cat, tried to run people over on his bicycle, and who showed no remorse for his severely injured victim.

At a hearing Tuesday in Manhattan’s Family Court, a judge also turned down a request to let the boy spend a day with his family. He and a 12-year-old companion, who was due in court Wednesday, have admitted being responsible for the Halloween eve incident, which left a woman hospitalized with severe head injuries after she was hit by the falling shopping cart at a Manhattan mall.

Both could face 18 months in juvenile detention facilities when they are sentenced later this month. The case has drawn unusual attention because of the severity of the victim’s injuries, the fact that she is a prominent philanthropist known for giving time and resources to helping underprivileged children, and the boys’ ages.

They have both admitted pushing the shopping cart from a walkway at a mall, where it dropped onto Marion Hedges’ head as she shopped with her 13-year-old son. He was not hurt. Hedges’ husband has said his wife will require months of rehabilitative therapy.

As part of his effort to get his client released, defense attorney Shahabuddeen Ally submitted to the court a letter he said the boy had written to Hedges expressing remorse for his action. ‘I did not mean to hurt you. My actions were stupid. I hope you feel better. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you,’ the letter said.

But a city lawyer said that the teenager joked around at a police precinct after he and his 12-year-old friend were arrested and showed no concern for Hedges, who was put into a medically induced coma after the incident. ‘He’s extremely problematic and as one school official says, when he doesn’t like you he doesn’t care,’ city attorney Leah Schmelzer said at Tuesday’s hearing.

Ally, though, said the boy was just putting on a ‘tough exterior’ and was eager for a chance to resolve his problems. He said the boy had a better chance of changing his behavior if he were home, rather than incarcerated in a juvenile facility.

ALSO:

Airport worker fired for helping dog

New York approves higher taxes for the rich

Texas woman denied food stamps shoots self, children

-- Tina Susman in New York