Toledo's Own Zimmermans

The younger (at 13) has been kicked out of school, and gotten another teenager pregnant. The older was kicked out of school last year. They now participate in neighborhood "ultimate fighting" gatherings which their father sometimes videotapes, and puts on YouTube.

I can't even come up with the right words to express my thoughts on that. Eek.

(But, in regard to your other question, you'd be surprised at the things that don't make the news. Perhaps one of the TTers who has a scanner might have heard something? I know there are a few who listen to the police calls occasionally.)

Maybe direct the press to the YouTube videos?

weirdly i just read this...

http://www.toledoblade.com/Police-Fire/2012/04/03/Man-78-recounts-assault-by-6-youths-in-E-Toledo.html

I'm not sure what your intent was with using "zimmerman". Are you trying out for a free lance position at the Blade?

Goes to prove you can be as loving and non-violent as you want but violence will find you. It sounds like this man did his best to raise peaceful, respectful children and live his life on the path of peace but you can't pretend everyone walks that path.

This world was not built for good men.

Where is your brother when these "Ultimate Fighting" gatherings are occurring? Calling the police or secretly watching behind the curtains?

If there are youtube videos, it would seem that the father could be rung up on child abuse charges.

Or maybe I'm overreacting. Hell, we tolerate "Teen Mom" and "Toddlers and Tiaras" on television; maybe the next step in parenting-by-television is "Neighborhood Adolescent Ultimate Fighting".

If we can place wagers on which kid kicks the shit out of the others, that would be all the more awesome. Family bloodsport! Kumate! Chong Li-Chong Li-Chong Li!!!!

<end sarcasm...and Van Damme movie references...>

Now, if you want a story more akin to what happened in Florida (i.e. someone attacked at least partially due to their race)...:

Man, 78, Recounts Assault By 6 Youths in E. Toledo

Mr. [Dallas] Watts was on his way home from the nearby Gas Express Mart at Starr Avenue and White Street about 4:45 p.m. Saturday when the boys approached him.

One pointed at Mr. Watts and said, "take him down," the victim recounted in an interview Monday.

Mr. Watts, carrying home two small bags of pork rinds to dole out as treats to his three dachshunds, looked at the youth and said, "Why you picking on me?" Mr. Watts recalled. "Remember Trayvon. Why you picking on me?"

Mr. Watts said one of the boys delivered a single blow to the back of his head during the incident Saturday, knocking the victim to the ground.

At one point, the victim recalled being lifted from the ground so one of the boys could "drop-kick" him in the chest.

One boy, he said, put his foot on the back of the victim's neck, with another shouting, "Kill him."

While Mr. Watts was down the boys kicked him, over and over, shouting, "[Get] that white [man]. This is for Trayvon ... Trayvon lives, white [man]. Kill that white [man]," according to a police report.

-----------

Six teenagers vs. one 78 year-old going home. Nice.

The comments on the Blade's website under this story are interesting. Some illiterate thug claiming to be the brother of one of these idiots is on there harassing anybody who comments.

And people wonder why some are reluctant to comment with their real name/FB identity on the Blade website...

Keep your powder dry, folks---it's going to be a long, hot summer.

Gee, violence running rampant on the east side. Now there's a story I haven't heard. Love these 2nd and 3rd hand stories.

what do you mean, 2nd & 3rd hand stories?

also, yeah.. the comments on the blade site are kind of crazy. paul has gone and deleted all of the angry comments but yowza, what a shit storm!

Keep your powder dry, folks---it's going to be a long, hot summer.

sad but true

The higher the temperature, the lower the IQ and chaos with stabbings, shootings and let's throw in some more arson

Surprised, and equally not surprised that the story hasn’t shown up on places like the Drudge and brought a little national spotlight to the 419.

1968's Summer & Fall, are empirically a time very reminiscent of now.
Get ready folks, it will be one loooong Hot Time till election time !
Economically, financially, and politically, a purge like enema is upon us all.

It is after all, the American way to blow itself up every 40 years or so...

Comment by Offshore in an October 2007 Toledo Talk thread titled East Toledo teens randomly beat up 63-year-old man in a game of 'Round Up'

Oldhometown, my brother saw one "event" occurring in an empty field across the street. Others he learned about from his sons (he saw some of the videos). He has contacted the police. They have come (usually after the "event"), and have not made much head-way.

I could not find these videos myself. Perhaps my brother will comment once he gets able to logon.

Hockeyfan, my intent with "Zimmerman" is that we have people in Toledo riled by an event in Florida when we have incidents here that need to be addressed. It could be that what happened here has nothing to do with race but rather an individual targeting a weaker person for the fun of it. But it would be rather tragic if that person dies because of a violent "game".

I so read this thread as "Toledo's own Zingerman's" and got all excited. Man I need to get up to Ann Arbor.

Carry on...

HAHA me too! :)

Three... and was pretty excited initially.

Initially, I thought this thread was going to discuss Toledo's version of the bizarre foods guy on the Travel Channel, but his name is spelled Zimmern.

It's on Drudge now.

:/

You can see the number of comments have surged since it hit Drudge.

I hesitate even typing this as I am not a writer and probably make more mistakes then most but I did not find the article very well written. I thought it was a little choppy and not a coherent, flowing story. If this happened as described it seems like a lot more detail could have been added. Just like the initial Trayvon story I am not jumping to conclusions either. That’s for the courts to decide. If it did occur as described this should be classified and tried as a hate crime if the youths did indeed target the man because of his race.

On WTOL they are saying it was both white and black kids... so... take his story with a grain of salt? I dunno.

Turns out this guy was exaggerating a bit, although he was assaulted and robbed. Looks like an interesting character though.

And the question the canine-obsessed Blade never asked: why was this man feeding his dogs pork rinds?

My brother came over for dinner. He got hold of the parole officer (who was a little irked that my brother got his number). He says that if my brother can provide some evidence he will try to get their parole revoked. The judge had decided that what they did not warrant any time in a controlled facility.