A TikTok challenge involving kicking a home害羞草研究所檚 door and running away before the occupants answer took a nasty turn in Crown Isle, when the homeowners confronted the youths.
Owen May has been on the receiving end of this prank for a number of years. This year has been especially bad.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been four, four-and-a-half years of these kids kicking down our door in the middle of the night,害羞草研究所� said the Crown Isle resident. 害羞草研究所淚t usually goes on for about a week straight, then it stops for about a year, and then it starts again. Kicking the doors, causing damage害羞草研究所� the first time I thought our house was on fire (and someone was warning us).
害羞草研究所淧robably 80 per cent of our neighbourhood in Crown Isle are seniors. They are doing it to their homes as well. There are eight other homes on my street that just by this incident this week, I have found out they have all installed security cameras on their properties because they had their doors kicked in. So it害羞草研究所檚 not just me being targeted.害羞草研究所�
The latest incidents began the week of March 13.
According to May, his door was kicked repeatedly, late in the night on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. He said he called the RCMP after the second incident, but the trespassing persisted, to no avail. After the fourth incident of the week, Friday, March 17, May decided to take matters into his own hands, in an effort to catch the perpetrators.
He set up a trip wire with fishing line under the door so that when the perpetrator kicked the door and tried to run away, the line would trip him up. The youths came back on Sunday night.
The Mays saw them approaching, jumped out of bed and went to the front door.
害羞草研究所淎s soon as they came and kicked on the door, I was on the other side of the door and pulled the line tight and caught his ankle,害羞草研究所� said May.
The one youth tripped, and the front door immediately opened and May害羞草研究所檚 wife, Laura, pounced on the fallen trespasser.
The ensuing struggle with the teens at the front of the Mays害羞草研究所� house resulted in severe lacerations to Owen害羞草研究所檚 arms and legs. His injuries are so extensive he can害羞草研究所檛 put on socks or shoes, and therefore can害羞草研究所檛 work.
Laura needed stitches to her eyelid. The assailants allegedly used flashlights as weapons and ripped her top off.
Assault charges are pending against the youths.
Owen May害羞草研究所檚 actions are not without consequences of their own.
Charges are also pending against him, relevant to Section 247 (1) of the Criminal Code of Canada: Traps likely to cause bodily harm.
害羞草研究所淲e do have an active investigation on both sides - there is an alleged assault, and on the other side害羞草研究所� he (May) set traps that can harm people and that is a criminal offence,害羞草研究所� said Comox Valley RCMP Insp. Mike Kurvers. 害羞草研究所淪o we are looking at both sides of this.
害羞草研究所淲e have identified the people and are trying to work out arrangements from both parties, but it is a police investigation, so we can害羞草研究所檛 release too much.害羞草研究所�
Kurvers said the alleged assailants are 16 years old.
May was unaware of the charges pending against him.
害羞草研究所淚t wasn害羞草研究所檛 meant to cause bodily harm; it was just meant to stop them,害羞草研究所� said May. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not like it was a leg-hold trap. It wasn害羞草研究所檛 there to break his ankle. It was just to trip him up.害羞草研究所�
One neighbour, Terry McLaughlan, was dumbfounded when hearing about the pending charges against May.
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 just insane,害羞草研究所� said McLaughlan, who moved to Crown Isle in 2019. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e had to put up security cameras because of this kind of stuff too. I害羞草研究所檝e had my door (kicked), and had one of the kids challenge me and try to pick a fight with me, and I called the police and they never even got back to me. So the police aren害羞草研究所檛 addressing any of these issues, and when someone does something to try to (catch them)害羞草研究所� the guy gets in trouble. It害羞草研究所檚 just ridiculous.害羞草研究所�
Another neighbour, Terri (who asked that her last name not be used) said she has been a victim of similar events, going back to the summer of 2022. Her husband eventually bought security cameras, which have helped resolve the issue.
害羞草研究所淲e were harassed by them for months and months and months, and finally spent a lot of money to protect ourselves,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淣obody, not even a door-to-door salesman, has the right to come to your door and harass you.害羞草研究所�
Terri has seen the video of the confrontation on the May property and she said it was hard to watch.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 physically painful to watch the way Laura and Owen are both dragged across the exposed aggregate on their front sidewalk by those young men, and quite honestly, the way they ripped her clothes off her, that害羞草研究所檚 assault.害羞草研究所�
She was surprised to hear about the pending charges against May.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 understand how we don害羞草研究所檛 have the right to protect ourselves or our property,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 am really surprised and disgusted that they would turn this around and even attempt to charge Owen. He did the right thing by trying to protect his own home, and I believe his actions will, going forward, put an end to the terrorization in this community.害羞草研究所�
Kurvers said there has been no increase in delinquent activity in Crown Isle, or anywhere else in the Comox Valley.
害羞草研究所淐rown Isle is a very safe area. There will obviously be offshoots of little things here and there, but I am going to say the whole community is pretty safe - all of Comox Valley, speaking from a police perspective.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 a bunch of crap,害羞草研究所� said McLaughlan. 害羞草研究所淚 know Owen personally, and this has been going on, and on, and on. It害羞草研究所檚 affected both him and his wife. It害羞草研究所檚 ridiculous to think that someone can do this and get away with it.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淢y wife can害羞草研究所檛 even sleep at night anymore,害羞草研究所� said May. 害羞草研究所淚 roll over in bed and she wakes up screaming. That害羞草研究所檚 how tormented she is. We have called the police, but do you think they have time to show up? No. We don害羞草研究所檛 even hear back from them. I think one time in the last four years they have actually shown up (prior to Tuesday, March 14).害羞草研究所�
Terri said she contacted the police when her incidents happened and said there was no follow-up.
害羞草研究所淚 remember one conversation I had with the police. I called the police and I gave them a description of the individual, and they - the police - never came to my house, never questioned me, never told me if they saw the kids. Nothing ever happened with them.害羞草研究所�
She said no police file was ever made.
The Beelers, who live down the street from May, have installed security cameras, after having their door kicked in November.
害羞草研究所淭hese kids have been coming up and down (throughout the neighbourhood) and it害羞草研究所檚 annoying - I害羞草研究所檓 82 years old, I don害羞草研究所檛 need this nonsense, and neither does my 80-year-old wife,害羞草研究所� said Bob Beeler. 害羞草研究所淭here are a lot of seniors up and down the street here and it害羞草研究所檚 annoying as hell. We don害羞草研究所檛 need this.害羞草研究所�
After identifying one of the perpetrators, May confronted the father, who confirmed it was his son in the video.
害羞草研究所淗e was almost in tears when he saw the video. I asked him, 害羞草研究所業f this had happened to you for the last four years, how would you and your wife sleep at night?害羞草研究所� He was shocked. He said, 害羞草研究所楳y son is a shy kid, doesn害羞草研究所檛 get out much, and is a straight-A student.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淗e did offer to have his son do some yardwork around my place, but I told him I just preferred his son and his friends stay out of Crown Isle. I害羞草研究所檓 probably out about $2,400 in damages and (security) equipment purchased, and I am losing about $250 a day in wages because I can害羞草研究所檛 put socks and shoes on.害羞草研究所�
Terri said the police officer leading the investigation has informed her that because the kids have seen that there are extreme consequences to such actions, hopefully, there will be no more such situations going forward.
害羞草研究所淚f so, that害羞草研究所檚 thanks to Owen,害羞草研究所� said Terri. 害羞草研究所淣ot thanks to the RCMP; thanks to Owen and Laura.害羞草研究所�
The Record has reached out to the father of the assailant for comment.
terry.farrell@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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