Two Gator football greats want to help wrongly arrested 14-year-old

[O-town Gator]

"Former Gator offensive lineman Max Starks, now playing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Gator center Maurkice Pouncey, recently drafted by the Steelers in the first round, have invited 14-year-old Edwin to a football camp they are holding at Lake Highland Prep this weekend.

The catch, says Edwin’s attorney Natalie Jackson, is that the state attorney has to drop trump-up charges against Edwin . Orange County Sheriff Department detectives arrested him last week for abducting a 3-year-old girl. Unless the charges are dropped, Edwin will remain under home confinement until a court hearing June 24.

Edwin simply was trying to help the girl find her mother, a good deed that unfortunately backfired when he took her outside in pursuit of a woman he thought was her mother."

More: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_columnist_mikethomas/2010/06/two-gator-football-greats-help-arrested-14-year-old-edwin.html

 

[AK Gator]

Without seeking out any articles about the incident itself, it certainly sounds like a case of police taking a little too much enthusiasm in response to a perceived crime. I won't comment on their conduct beyond suggesting that they take more care the next time. As for Edwin, I certainly hope that the charges can be dropped and that he can get his life back on track. If going to camp with a couple of Gators is the first step in him doing so, then that's a total bonus. At the end of the day though, a 14 year old trying to do the right thing should be rewarded for his efforts and the state should be mature enough to admit any mistake that they have made and right this situation.