Ohio mom finds out son vandalized local store, marches him to store owner to apologize, pay for damages
'You could tell that he loves her child,' the Cleveland-area sign shop owner said of the mom
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}An Ohio store owner who was the victim of an attempted break-in is lauding the mother of the perpetrator after she made the son apologize for the crime and pay for the damages.
"Oh, a lot of respect for this mom. You could tell that he loves her child, she’s concerned about him," Jim Grenig, the owner of Aaron Sign Shop in the Cleveland suburb of Garfield Heights, told Fox 8.
Security footage from the early morning of Dec. 3 showed a suspect trying to kick in the store’s door, but ultimately failed.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"He took my advertising that I had on the window off by kicking the door, so I really wanted to put this guy firsthand and let everybody see what he had done, hoping to embarrass him and maybe come forward and admit what he did," Grenig said earlier this month before the suspect came forward. The incident left about $600 in damages.
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Aaron Sign Shop in Garfield Heights, Ohio. (Google Maps)
Grenig said that in addition to calling the police, he created a large "Wanted" sign with screenshots of the surveillance video, which he posted on the front of the store. He also published video of the incident on social media in the hopes of finding the perpetrator.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Last week, the perpetrator came forward - after his mom called Grenig and said her son wanted to apologize and make amends, Fox 8 reported.
"He said ‘Mom, I did something wrong. I’m on the news. I’m afraid to even go to work,'" Grenig recounted of what he was told.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The unidentified mom and son visited with Grenig last week to apologize and explained that he had a rough Friday night before make the decision to vandalize Aaron Sign Shop.
"The young man was here in Garfield Heights at a bar Friday night where he got jumped and pistol whipped, had a little alcohol, he was discombobulated, he was hurt, wasn’t thinking right, came over, kicked the door," said Grenig.
Civic Center in Garfield Heights, Ohio. (City of Garfield Heights/Facebook)
"I was mad. I wanted ill will, I wanted harm, I wanted retribution, I wanted this and that. You know, for all the people that I’ve known in my life before that gave me breaks, I gave this kid a break," he added.
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In addition to an apology for the attempted break-in, the mom and son signed a contract that the son will pay for damages in monthly installments. Grenig agreed to take down the "Wanted" sign he had posted after the agreement.
Aaron Sign Shop seen on right side of the road in Garfield Heights, Ohio. (Google Earth)
"This mom took the bull by the horns and made it happen. She brought her son to me," said Grenig.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Even the town's mayor lauded the mom for her parenting.
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"For this parent to do what she did, that is incredible. That is an incredible way to parent and it should be set as an example of what other parents could do as well," Garfield Heights Mayor Matt Burke told Fox 8.