Teen Blames Grand Theft Auto For Crime Spree

[Guest Mikey2Dope]

http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/fun.games/11/...e.ap/index.html

 

Teen says game inspired crime spree

Thursday, November 14, 2002 Posted: 11:06 AM EST (1606 GMT)

 

 

KENOSHA, Wisconsin (AP) -- Authorities say a teenager told them a video game about stealing cars inspired an auto theft spree involving about 100 vehicles.

 

Nineteen-year-old Micah Zoerner of Somers, Wisconsin is charged with numerous counts of theft, burglary and auto theft. He's being held in lieu of a 15-thousand dollar cash bond.

 

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 20th.

 

He was arrested Friday when officers in the village of Pleasant Prairie spotted him breaking into vehicles parked at a local apartment complex.

 

When he was arrested, Zoerner had a vehicle that was reported stolen a week earlier from the same complex.

 

Detectives say he told them he'd been inspired by the video game "Grand Theft Auto."

 

Two other teens, one 18 and the other 19, were also apprehended but have not yet been charged.

 

CNN.com

 

What a bunch of BULLSHIT! People need to step up and start taking responsibilities for their actions instead of blaming everybody else. I mean good lord the kid is 19 and he's blaming video games for his crime??? The sad thing is with all the parents and politicians that think GTA is the anti-christ are gonna have more fuel for their fire. This moron is now gonna go from stupid immature jackass to "poor victim". What a joke.

[Guest chirs3]

Why must he ruin it for the rest of us?

[Guest GeneMean]

I was wondering how long it was going to take another one of these stories to come out since the last GTA was released.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

At least he wasn't playing Quake or Unreal Tourney...

[Guest EricMM]

As someone who found GTA to eventually be reptitive and shallow I would like to say:

 

GTA is the devil!

 

It is corrupting the youth of america with is salicious ways. I have seen 9 years olds pick up a prostitue, have INTERCOURSE with her (OutSIDE of wedlock *scandalous*) and then run her over like a possum on a freeway.

 

I nominate this game be replaced by the WWJD simulation game, where each child sees everyday situations, and trys to find out what JESUS would do.

[Guest crandamaniac]

Yeah, but just wait till you have a whole bunch of kids drowning when they try and walk on water.

[Guest El Satanico]

Those damn politicians, religous groups and parent groups are too blame for idiots like this.

 

They are the one's that tell us that we aren't to blame for our own actions. They are the one's that tell us that we can blame all of the evil deeds we do on a form of art.

[Guest chirs3]

Maybe GTA made stealing cars look like fun, but it also made stealing cars look a billion times easier than I imagine it is.

 

GTA: Open door, get in, go.

 

But no, let's not get mad at the kid for going out and learning, on his own by his own choice, just how to steal a car. Let's blame a game for just giving him the idea.

[Guest Spaceman Spiff]

"Won't anybody think of the children?" </Helen Lovejoy>

[Guest Fook_Hing_Ho]

The sad thing is, these superreligious types who will blame GTA for the kid stealing a car never seem to realize that *gasp!* kids were stealing cars long before the game was made!

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Hell, let's say GTA was 100% to blame for this adult doing these things. My take?

 

He should stiil go to jail like the scum that he is! We should have stupid people in jail just as much as we should violent people. I'd sleep easier knowing that someone this dumb wasn't out on the streets.

[Guest CED Ordonez]

I agree with YNA in this case. A nineteen-year-old trying to get away with the old "Video games made me do it" defense should not be in effect here. The phrase "Stealing is bad" should be imprinted somewhere in that brain of yours by the age of nineteen. Also, and I know parental groups will overlook this, GTA does have a punishment system in place and cops will arrest or kill your character for excessive law violations.

[Guest The Notorious CRD]

I'll just go on a plumbing spree and blame Super Mario Bros.

 

Seriously, though, that's just asinine.

[Guest EQ]

This pisses me off so much, that I can't really think of a response that won't make me sound ignorant. For now, I'll just say that anyone who believes this is a plausible excuse for what this guy did is dumber than the actual thief