SIOUX FALLS, SD -

 

Two vandals were caught on surveillance camera taking video of themselves as they jumped from car to car at a Sioux Falls dealership in October. We have an unusual update to this story about what happened after these two young men were caught.

 

The vandalism took place at Schulte Subaru on Minnesota Avenue. Mike Schulte offered up a $1,000 reward for anyone who could positively identify to the two guys. It turns out they were juveniles, but what's shocking is just how young they were. When Schulte found that out, he decided instead of filing charges, to take a different approach.

 

This impulsive stunt work by a couple of young boys really added up--to $40,000 in damage. And after this video aired on KELOLAND TV, the names of the two vandals were quickly discovered.

 

"Looking forward to catching whoever it was and holding them accountable. It was just one of those situations once we got all the information and it came together, it just seemed like the right thing to do," Mike Schulte said.

 

Schulte, the parent of a teenage son himself, felt the right thing to do was to try to help the boys who are just 10 and 14.

 

"What was going through my mind, is what if this is the moment in the life, especially the older one, if we press charges and he goes into the system and has a record--what if he decides to do some other bad things and it just spirals," Schulte said.

 

So instead of filing charges, the 10 year old was turned over to his parents and Schulte met with the older boy and his mother.

 

Schulte: You could tell the kid was upset that he had done this and he had concern and he was a caring kid.

 

Angela Kennecke: He seemed genuinely sorry?

 

Schulte: He did. He really, really did.

 

He hadn't been in trouble before, but he and his disabled mother were struggling, living in poor conditions. He also walked more than three miles to school and back each day.

 

"The first thing we did was we bought a bus pass for him and we actually went and got a bike for him, so he wouldn't have to walk to school anymore," Schulte said.

 

Schulte and his staff also helped him and his mother move to a better rental home and offered the boy a job on Saturdays washing cars.

 

"And not from the standpoint of paying back the damage because obviously that would take his lifetime probably," Schulte said.

 

A portion of the boy's hourly wage, however, is going toward the damage. Schulte says if the boy makes better choice, it will all be worth it.

 

"Someday the kid will hopefully realize the community cares and hopefully it will put him on a good path the rest of his life," Schulte said.

 

Schulte has also offered to sponsor the 14 year old so he can get the gear he needs to play school sports.

 

Because the boy is a juvenile, we asked his mother if we could interview him or if she was willing to talk about how the situation was handled. However, she did not want to go on camera.

 

KELOLAND.com | Car Dealer Offers Vandal A Job

I am sure the heart is probably in the right place but this practice is a slippery slope.

I am sure the heart is probably in the right place but this practice is a slippery slope.

 

You'll see a lot more stuff like this. Now this was a special case because I don't think it ever even got in front of a judge, but the concept is not an unfamiliar one.

 

They call it "restorative justice." The idea is that a juvenile offender, his parents or guardians and the victims sit down with a mediator and collaborate on a way to try and make whole the victims while finding some sort of punishment for the offender.

 

It's already in Louisville in a small way and it'll only grow. It has a lot of backing behind it and a fair amount of research to suggest that it's a decent way to reduce recidivism rates among juveniles.

You'll see a lot more stuff like this. Now this was a special case because I don't think it ever even got in front of a judge, but the concept is not an unfamiliar one.

 

They call it "restorative justice." The idea is that a juvenile offender, his parents or guardians and the victims sit down with a mediator and collaborate on a way to try and make whole the victims while finding some sort of punishment for the offender.

 

It's already in Louisville in a small way and it'll only grow. It has a lot of backing behind it and a fair amount of research to suggest that it's a decent way to reduce recidivism rates among juveniles.

 

The Federal Government has used this practice for decades, correct?

 

I know it isn't a new idea or necessarily a bad idea but it could be that a smart criminal will think and say I am just going to commit crime after crime until I get caught and once I get caught I get a job, pretty sweet deal. Slippery slope.

The Federal Government has used this practice for decades, correct?

 

I know it isn't a new idea or necessarily a bad idea but it could be that a smart criminal will think and say I am just going to commit crime after crime until I get caught and once I get caught I get a job, pretty sweet deal. Slippery slope.

 

I think this firms it up. Would be giving a lot of credit for criminal to repeatedly do this to get a job in my opinion

I think this firms it up. Would be giving a lot of credit for criminal to repeatedly do this to get a job in my opinion

 

I think your read is wrong. I am saying it is win-win for criminals. You get to commit crimes and as long as you don't get caught, great. But if you do get caught, you get a job which is also good.

 

Win - Win for criminals.

I think your read is wrong. I am saying it is win-win for criminals. You get to commit crimes and as long as you don't get caught, great. But if you do get caught, you get a job which is also good.

 

Win - Win for criminals.

 

I've only seen it used with juveniles in the United States. I don't know how many 14 year olds are "smart criminals" though it's possible some are. But this case? A ten-year-old tossed in juvie might never be outside the system again. It's an attempt to cut off these things before they get started.

 

It's not like they're getting off with nothing. The job is the most extreme example I've seen. In most cases they're made to do something that tries to make whole the victims.

No relation.