Kenneth Freeman had 5 missing children in his shed.

[Valasca]

Authorities have arrested a Lorain man after police find five children reported missing by their families in a shed in the man's backyard.

According to officials with the Lorain Police Department, Kenneth Freeman, 39, was arrested at his home around 2:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Police say when they arrived at Freeman's home they found at least 10 children hiding inside the shed. Authorities say the children ranged in age from 12-17, and at least five had been reported missing by their families.

According to a police report filed on the incident, Freeman admitted he had been drinking and when asked by police why the children were in the shed he became unruly.

Freeman has been charged with obstructing official business and resisting arrest. He is currently being held at the Lorain County jail.

Video at link: http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-news-lo...,3311628.story

[OMalley]

Good lord. I hate to think what his plans were? Crazy bastard.

[brokenandtwisted]

Replace man with woman...replace shed with cupboard under the stairs...

[badfish76]

I do pray that they were just run aways he was trying to help out.

[Dreamnine]

Hang the fucker.

[Valasca]

I do pray that they were just run aways he was trying to help out.

Yeah, um... think anyone would buy that?

[Coyote]

Were the teens' boys, girls or both? How long had they been missing? This one definitely has my curiosity up.

[gee]

This is crazy but at least they were found alive

[AngelFire]

OMG...I want to know more about this crazy fucker

[LestYeBeJudged]

Officers say they discovered 10 under aged kids hiding in a shed, and five of the teens were apparent runaways, named in missing person reports. One from Amherst, and 4 from Lorain.

Sgt. Mark Carpentiere reveals the 16 year old from Amherst was arrested because he became unruly and uncooperative. The others were returned to their homes.

Carpentiere says it appears no abuse was involved, and that the kids were just "hanging out". They ranged in age from 12 to 17.

Carpentiere explains that runaway children are a common occurrence in Lorain, and are often the same group of kids.

However, Freeman has a police record, with convictions for cocaine possession, and receiving stolen property, as well as some minor traffic offenses.

http://www.wtam.com/cc-common/news/s...rticle=7497336

[Hellsbells]

When Freeman saw police, he reportedly attempted to slam the shed door. He was unable to do so, and police removed everyone from the shed including Freeman, another adult male, and about 10 juveniles. Five of the children had been reported missing.

Freeman, police reported, “reeked” of alcohol. While police were questioning everyone, Freeman reportedly kept interrupting and told all the children to go inside his home. Police warned him several times to stop, but Freeman reportedly continued interrupting and told police they had no right to be on his property. After several warnings, Freeman was arrested. Police said Freeman tried to pull away, but was secured and put in a patrol car as the investigation continued.

A boy who had been reported missing also kept interrupting and became extremely upset when one of the girls was handcuffed, police said. He was charged with obstructing official business, resisting arrest and minor’s curfew. He and another boy, who was charged with unruly child and minors curfew, were sent to the Lorain County Detention Home. Three girls were charged with unruly child and minors curfew.

The other adult male was released from the scene along with the remaining children.


http://chronicle.northcoastnow.com/2...-missing-kids/

[Dakota Valkyrie]

When asked if he worries that something else was going on, Sgt. Carpentier says, "Sure, it's awfully suspicious, but we don't have any evidence of anything else right now. But certainly it causes us some concern."
[...]

Jordan Simmons, the suspect's niece says, "Everyone has the wrong idea."

Freeman's family is defending him. His two daughters were among the children inside the shed. Simmons says, "I don't really think he should be in jail at all. I don't think he should because he did not know they were runaways until the cops came."

Simmons is Freeman's niece, and says he's just a guy with a big heart. She says, "In his eyes, he feels bad for these kids and he's like 'sure, you can come hang out with my kids. He doesn't process the fact that they're runaways.'"

But to Lorain police, it all seems very strange. Sgt. Carpentier says, "Nobody's really cooperative. They didn't offer any information to the officers when they were there, so we still don't know why they were all there (in the shed) other than just hiding."

Police say all the kids appeared to know each other and some are habitual runaways. Several were charged with unruly behavior and curfew violations.

http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/...3954&catid=288

Carpentiere says it appears no abuse was involved, and that the kids were just "hanging out". They ranged in age from 12 to 17.

Carpentiere explains that runaway children are a common occurrence in Lorain, and are often the same group of kids.

http://www.wtam.com/cc-common/news/s...rticle=7497336

A 16-year-old boy, reported missing in Amherst, also kept interrupting police, yelling that no one had done anything wrong, the report said.

He was taken to the Lorain County Detention Home on delinquency charges of obstruction of official business, resisting arrest and violating curfew.

Another juvenile reported missing was also taken to the detention home on a summons for unruly child and curfew violation.

Three other juveniles were given summons and taken to their parents.

Another man found inside the shed as well as several other juveniles were allowed to leave, with warnings.

http://morningjournal.com/articles/2.../mj3172583.txt

[AngelFire]

This is all so strange

[jenthgr8]

This caught my eye on HLN yesterday afternoon. The first thing I was reminded of was this girl I knew in high school. She lived with her dad and brother near our high school, and they were uber white trash. We'd all hang out over there, getting high and just hanging out. Several times, kids would come over to escape their parents and their rules and chores and hide out for days. This dad let it all go on, and was eventually arrested on drug charges. Sounds like this guy was in much the same position. His daughter was interviewed briefly and she was just as trashy and strung out as any of the assholes I used to hang out with. Gross.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

This is all so strange

I don't find it strange. Almost every town I have ever lived in has had a house where the "bad kids" hang out... some parent takes in the misunderstood teens without having an understanding of the situation (or ramifications).

[KyFyre]

I'm rather curious as to why the kids who had been reported missing had ran away. Sure what this guy didn't isn't right, he shouldn't have been hiding kids in his shed, but what worries me, is what is going on at these kids homes that they would want to run away from it? Happy and safe homes do not usually have children wanting to run away.

[Silvahalo]

There was a "home" much like this out where I lived growing up. I hung out there sometimes but mostly, the guy was kind of creepy so I kept away most times. I totally get why some children would rather be elsewhere than the home they com from. Runaways, children from dysfunctional homes look for a place to belong. There's a reason why these children are habitual runaways and I'm thinking the 16 yo has become rather protective of some of the younger children and reacted badly as the authorities came in and began taking kids.

Now I'm not saying its ok for an adult to be shacking up kids, runaways or not but I can see how this could happen and does happen.
I REALLY hope there wasn't any abuse going on of any kind by this guy or the other adult there, now that would be really wrong. What bothers me is out of the 10 children there were at least 5 that had not been reported missing for whatever reason, that's just plain sad.

I hope this turns out to be nothing more than a misguided adult(s) letting these kids have a place to be rather than being out on the streets or place that's supposed to be home but isn't. I hope it all works out for these children.

[Obsolete]

Just because someone is a run away it doesn't mean they come from a bad or unloving home. Some kids are spoiled brats who run away when their parents tell them no about some thing.

In high school I had friends that ran away all the time and none of them ever really had reasons not to want to be home, it was mostly due to the fact they wanted to play grown up and not have to follow rules.

I'm not saying that the case here, just pointing out that being a runaway doesn't automatically classify you as having a less than normal home. Some kids can be raised in a perfectly normal, loving house and still act out.

[AngelFire]

I don't find it strange. Almost every town I have ever lived in has had a house where the "bad kids" hang out... some parent takes in the misunderstood teens without having an understanding of the situation (or ramifications).

I find it rather strange because we never had anything like that go on....all the parents were old fashion and kind of corny. Who the hell wanted to hang out in places like that. I would have loved to have had a place to "escape' when I was a teenager.

[Obsolete]

I find it rather strange because we never had anything like that go on....all the parents were old fashion and kind of corny. Who the hell wanted to hang out in places like that. I would have loved to have had a place to "escape' when I was a teenager.

It sounds like you were a pretty normal kid who stayed away from that type of place. I have to agree with DV though, I don't think it's that abnormal, I knew lots of houses like that growing up.... some parents were "cooler" than others although now that I'm a parent I realize they weren't cool... they were just irresponsible.

[VXIII]

When my son was about 14 or so one of his freinds stepdad had punched him and kicked him out on the streets, I let him stay at my house, the mother called me up and told me put him out on the street so he could learn a lesson, I couldnt and wouldnt do it, told him he could stay until they let him back in. So maybe it was irresponsible but sometimes the parents doing that will let kids stay, know its worse to have the kid wandering the streets, if they arent in a safe place, worse things would happen... Im still not sorry for letting him stay with my son... I also at another time let another one stay, I stayed at places like this before and was grateful they let me stay as long as no one was trying to touch me... Hell I would even clean up around the place...

[Jerri Blank]

Carpentiere explains that runaway children are a common occurrence in Lorain, and are often the same group of kids.

I was really hoping It wasn't Lorain Ohio...we just f#%king put a bid on a house there! we want to get our daughter out of Cleveland area but reading this has my head a mess, I also have a migraine but damn this really pisses me off.

one kid tells one kid and you never know..what if my daughter got mad at mom and thought I'll show her I know a place these kids go..and bam she's gone. my heart will explode.

[Hellsbells]

When my son was about 14 or so one of his freinds stepdad had punched him and kicked him out on the streets, I let him stay at my house, the mother called me up and told me put him out on the street so he could learn a lesson, I couldnt and wouldnt do it, told him he could stay until they let him back in. So maybe it was irresponsible but sometimes the parents doing that will let kids stay, know its worse to have the kid wandering the streets, if they arent in a safe place, worse things would happen... Im still not sorry for letting him stay with my son... I also at another time let another one stay, I stayed at places like this before and was grateful they let me stay as long as no one was trying to touch me... Hell I would even clean up around the place...

Thanks, We have alot in common

[Dakota Valkyrie]

When my son was about 14 or so one of his freinds stepdad had punched him and kicked him out on the streets, I let him stay at my house, the mother called me up and told me put him out on the street so he could learn a lesson, I couldnt and wouldnt do it, told him he could stay until they let him back in. So maybe it was irresponsible but sometimes the parents doing that will let kids stay, know its worse to have the kid wandering the streets, if they arent in a safe place, worse things would happen... Im still not sorry for letting him stay with my son... I also at another time let another one stay, I stayed at places like this before and was grateful they let me stay as long as no one was trying to touch me... Hell I would even clean up around the place...

There is a big difference between what you describe and what seems to be happening at the home in this story... this was not a parent trying to be responsible for another kid who got kicked out - it was a some guy trying to be "one of the kids". Taking in a kid or two is one thing, providing a party shelter for runaways is another...especially when they are reported missing and the parents do not know where they are.

If I had had a kid that ran away (can't imagine it), I would deal with them being at a responsible home. I'd call the cops if they were at a "good time Charlie's" and have their ass brought home.