Teens Charged In Ray Allen Trespassing Case

As we are considering the question of race in America these past two weeks, here’s an example of how the benefit of the doubtis differentially applied that involves an NBA player.

Miami Heat player Ray Allen’s wife, Shannon, awoke last week in the middle of the night to find seven teenagers between 18 and 19 years old wandering around her Coral Gables, Florida home. Initially, Coral Gables police, citing Florida law, dismissed it as a prank and said they could not arrest the teenagers. Allen and his family were incensed and released a statement to the Miami Herald.

We want to correct the erroneous information being reported about the crime committed in our home this week. On Thursday morning at 2:30 a.m., my wife Shannon was awakened by loud voices in our bedroom where she had been sleeping with our four young children.

She heard male voices loudly discussing our personal property and sat up in a state of alarm to find at least five people inside our bedroom with large flashlights. She was immediately fearful for the safety of her own life, but more importantly the lives of our young children. When she screamed at them, the intruders quickly fled the scene and laughter was heard as they made their way out of our bedroom, down the stairs and out of our house.

As these individuals were fleeing our house, Shannon immediately called security and the police for help. Shannon and I believe that a number of the public statements made through media outlets have mischaracterized certain important facts and what we believe to be the seriousness of this potentially devastating invasion upon our lives, home and family.

The teens, who were attending a party next door, were Hispanic. The Allens are, of course, Black. Coral Gables police spokeswoman Kelly Denham said that the teens were not charged initially because there was no forced entry, no theft and “no intent.”

The teens told police they thought the house was unoccupied and were just curious about how the Allen family lived.

“Although the individuals had entered the residence, there was no proof that they had the intent to commit any crimes inside,” the police statement read. “The Miami-Dade County state attorney’s office advised the detectives that no arrests should be made at that time, in that the elements of a burglary had not been met [and] that the appropriate charge in this case was the crime of trespass in an occupied structure, a misdemeanor.”

The Allens and their lawyer persisted in filing charges against the teens, who were described as remorseful. Once the media picked up the story, the seven teens were charged, but not arrested, with trespassing an occupied structure, a first-degree misdemeanor that carries the possibility of year in jail, a fine or a year’s probation. The teens were attending a party next door and said they just wanted to see inside what they believed was an unoccupied celebrity home.

The Allens are satisfied with their decision to press charges,” Gregory Victor told the Miami Herald. He said the Allens are “happy with how it all turned out” and they are experiencing “a lot of different emotions.’’

“The Allens are thankful that no one was hurt and they are appreciative for all the support they have received from their community.”

An attorney for six of the seven teens maintains that the teens, 6 young men and a young woman, were not up to any harm.

When you turn 18 you’re no longer a kid,” Ross, the attorney for six of the seven teens told the Miami Herald. “But at the end of the day, they’re kids. They graduated high school. They are going off to college. The script is: They find themselves interested in a celebrity’s home and made a bad decision. They solely regret it. There was no intent to do anything bad and the bottom line is, they didn’t do any harm.

“I’m hopeful that my clients will be able to go forward with their education and their lives, without there being an impediment. At the same time, hoping that the Allen family can truly put this behind them.”

Coral Gables police maintain that because they caught up with the teens after they left the home, they could not charge them with trespassing, as state law dictates. The Allens pursued charges via the state attorney’s office.

Now let’s just picture this case with the races reversed. Would the teens have been as easily dismissed as pranksters if it were Black teenage “pranksters” invading a private home with a woman inside alone with her four children?

(Photo: PR Photos)

Like BlackAmericaWeb.com on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

This Week’s Hottest Instagram Pics (Week of 8/9-8/15)