Last week, we bought you the whimsical story of young Latarian Milton, a 7-year old South Florida kid who had landed himself in deep trouble for stealing his Grandma's SUV and crashing it at a Costco store. Since this story broke nationally, it's become an internet sensation of sorts, with all sorts of half-assed Youtube mash-ups and remixes. Lost in the shuffle was the fact that this kid was clearly crying out for attention in the video.
All the news accounts were focused on the laughable notion that a kid who couldn't see over the steering wheel stole a car and drove for miles through rush hour traffic. Everyone gawked and laughed. Nobody gave a shit about the kid.
Maybe they will after this.[1]
A 7-year-old boy who took his grandmother's car on a joyride last month has been taken for a mental health evaluation after he allegedly beat her up inside a South Florida Wal-Mart, WPBF News 25 reported.And here's the fresh video, courtesy of YouTube.
Latarian Milton's grandmother, Vikkita Stratford, told WPBF that the 7-year-old took his mischievous activities to a new level Monday when she said he beat her up inside a Lake Park Wal-Mart.
According to Stratford, the problem began when Milton asked his grandmother for some chicken wings. When she refused, Milton walked over over to the counter and ordered them anyway.
Stratford said that when she confronted him about it, Milton just snapped.
"He just started hitting me -- just started hitting me in front of the whole Wal-Mart. Every one in there was upset," Stratford said.
Stratford told WPBF that Milton hit her stomach, legs and "wherever he could reach me."
Riviera Beach police picked up Milton from his home and took him to an area hospital for a mental health evaluation Monday afternoon, WPBF reported. The 7-year-old can be held for up to 72 hours while he is evaluated by mental health officials.
Stratford said that she believes Milton's problems are due to a bad atmosphere with his parents.
"I know what causes the behavior, cause all he's ever seen was his parents do physical and abusive and verbal things, and I don't want him to continue in this direction so I'm doing the best I can to get him the help," she told WPBF.
Stratford said that she is worried about what will happen once the 7-year-old is released from his evaluation. She also told WPBF that she is making sure that Milton won't have access to her rental car while her SUV is being repaired.
"When I first got the rental he said, 'Oh, you know, let me take this for a spin," Stratford said. "So now I just sleep with the keys. I lock them up."
Okay, I know I am undermining my own point when I say this, but how funny is it that this kid beat his grandma up over some chicken wings? WTH!?!?
Real talk though, I know the whole Take The AverageBro Challenge thing is getting old, but seriously, Ray Charles can see the problem in this whole situation. The parents don't give the kid the best environment or influences. Grandma becomes mother by default, but damnit, she's battling Cancer, already raised her kids, and wants to live too. If you don't believe me, just watch the original Latarian video, and tell me what you see around the 1:04 mark.
Man, Grandma was sittin' on chrome! Them had to be 28's, 26's at least.
Anyways, I'm not sayin' having a mentor would solve all the kid's problems. He's clearly been dealt a bad hand from the get-go. But who knows? The right football coach, tutor, or church youth ministry might be able to tap into some of the kid's creativity, while helping him deal with some of the rage that undoubtedly manifests itself in a kidney punch to his own Nana over some cold-assed Walmart hotwings. I'm just sayin'.
What's evident to me is the kid isn't mentally ill. He just needs a attention.
He ain't got A.D.D. He needs a D.A.D.
The sad thing is, there's millions of other Latarian Miltons out there who just haven't stolen a car.
Yet.
Question: Do you think Latarian has mental issues or is this whole thing a misplaced plea for attention he's not getting from his own parents?
Woman Says Joyriding Grandson, 7, Beat Her Up (bonus with extra video) [WPBF]
[1] Thanks to TiffInHouston for sending this along.
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This little boy does not have mental issues. He liked the attention he got last month doing "hoodrat things" and the attention has probably died down a little bit. In his 7 year old mind he thought.."hey, last month when I swiped Gransmama's car, I was on the TV. Hmmmmm, what can I do now to get back on it?" The Walmart wing rejection just presented itself at the right time and he decided to ack a fool. Between him and Soulja Girl, old ladies are catchin' it this week!
Mental issues my butt. This little boy needs help. And his mother needs a foot up her behind. There are other ways to punish this little monster aside from spanking him,(which I was intially on board for but now I think it won't do him any good.) My older brother had to find a different set consequences my niece and his solution would work wonders for this boy. Basically, he makes her exercise, talking back- 20 crunches; misbehaving run laps. I joke with my brother that she will either be a very well mannered child or the best athelete in her school. Obviously, this little boy could stand to lose some weight and it would give him an outlet for all this frustration that he appears to have. I do believe that some children have ADD or ADHD- I've seen it with some of the children at the school I used to work at. Most of the children diagnosed however would benefit more from a little exercise and some discipline. I fear that locking this child up in a juvenile detention center is the absolute wrong thing to do, it's just going to put him with boys who will teach him inadvertantly that being violent and hurting people is the cool thing to do. The mental hospital may help him, but more likely the family just needs counseling with one on one therapy for the boy. My solution is to make his little chunky butt work out when he misbehaves and do so consistantly and find him a therapist he can relate to, for individual and family therapy.
I also agree that he keeps acting out because he likes the attention, I have a solution to that as well. There was a man here who liked to beat on his wife the judge ordered to stand on the side of a busy street wearing a sandwich board that basically said, I'm here because I keep hitting my wife. While I don't think that a street corner is the appropriate place for a 7 year old, the entrance to any major store (like the walmart where the incident ocurred) or even his school in the morning just might do the trick.
Give me 5 minutes with him.
You'll find him piledriven thru my table and flying through my plate glass screen door.
Yeah, I said it.
EG
since he is only 7, he is not too old to have his but beat. We would have made the news alright... I would have been charge with child abuse. Let my little rory do something that stupid. Momma loves you, but momma is going to jail. Who is his gramma? Grandma ruth or grandma daisy would have balled up her fist ant socked me. Period. I would never hit my grandmother or steal her car for that matter.
Where is this boy's parents?
I am so mad that chicken wings played a part in this story... Now I feel bad for giggling at little Latarian the first time... :( I hope that he gets steered into a new and positive direction. ...
And yes... Where are his parents?
Jesus, take the wheel. (no pun intended.) I feel for Grandma. I still have an issue with her saying she wants to whip his a**, and would if she didn't think she'd go to jail. What's wrong with this picture? I still believe in a**whippin'. @EG, I'm feeling you. It's not like the child doesn't know his behavior is wrong. This child needs his a** beat(and a positive male influence).
I'm sorry...but this lil' dude needed his behind tore the hell UP! Fighting Grandmama...in WalMart?? My BigMama, God rest her soul, would have whupped my ass from one end of that store to the other if I had EVER gotten it in my mind to "snap" and hit her @ 7 or 17 years old. This would've never gone down back when I was small in the 70's and 80's. Whatever is going on with him, in that moment of disillusion in WalMart over some damn chicken wings, he would've gotten hellfire smacked out of his ass.
It's obvious that this child has issues because Grandmama is raising him instead of his own parents. He DOES need a positive male influence. He seems to be a bright little boy, but something has gone terribly wrong very early in his life. He isn't hopeless. He can be saved with the right intervention.
Somebody in the family definitely has issues! This boy needs his butt blistered and plenty of love !
Yes, he needs that behind tore up, but as AB alluded, it won't stick unless it's from a male figure. I'm having a flashback of young Tre fighting in school in Boyz in the Hood, and his mamma realizing she needed Furious Styles to teach him how to be a man. Otherwise, this kid's on his way to being Doughboy.
Unfortunately, this kid has decided that ANY attention - negative or otherwise - is better than the NONE he's used to.
Not to worry, folks. It's like my mother say: if you don't learn how to respect yourself and others at home, the (for-profit) prison system will teach you.
Something tells me the kid has probably had his butt whipped TOO MANY TIMES already.
There's SO much more to this story than meets the eye, but sadly, unless there's some major intervention, this young man is headed for a life of court dates and commissary.
Is it me or does he look like young 'Doughboy' from BoyZ in the Hood.
His best quote was, "Man you sorry"
I dont know what everyone is talking about. Doughboy wanted some wings, and he was gettin them. No matter what anyone says on thig blog, they werent stoppin him from getting those wings. He wouldve layed the smack down on anyone who got in his way, even you ebony gentleman. Id like to see you pile drive him when you are staring down the barrell of his glock nine. I bet he was driving his granmama's truck to get wings, and then he was abrubtly stopped. All this kid needs is two whole weekends with no video games and he will be just fine.
I agree, Tom. The kid is 7 years old - he doesn't need a mental evaluation, he needs some deep friend chicken products covered in hot sauce. That's all my man wants. Point is, Latarian if you read this, I will represent you and make you the next Suge Night. My man is 7 and knows the deal. Ebony Gentlemen, you better cut out your tongue out your mouth for sayin' such things about the future Nicky Barnes...
Have any of you ever wanted wings at the tender age of seven? Imagine you are strolling down the isles of your neighborhood Walmart and you get the hankering for some good wholesome chicken wings, and just as you set your sights on the prize you are stopped in your tracks. As far as Im conerned the least this kids grammy could do for him is hook him up with some wings, what do you think Ike Turner wouldve done if Tina denied him of some delicious wings? It wouldve been much worse than this. Im sure Latarian has plenty of money coming in from the block, and wouldve paid for the wings on his own.
Seven is the age of reason, and this is no coincidence. As soon as this kid hit the age of seven all he could reason was "hoodrats stuff" and "wings", so obviously his priorites are straight. Anyone who thinks otherwise, including his grandmama, should be put in a mental hospital. With his Grandma locked up he will have plenty of time to do hoodrats stuff, smoke with cigarettes, and eat wings. Before you know it this kid will be the next Pacman Jones, making it rain along with getting paid millions from the NFL.
The seven year old Latarian Milton is back in the news again.the problem began when Milton asked his grandmother for some chicken wings.Latarian seemed to be back on the right track, appearing on the news apologizing for the damage he had done.
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abina
Florida Drug Rehab
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When I was his age, cars didn't interest me, they still don't at age 42. Why would someone that young want to drive a truck? I have read about some kids, ages 13, 15, and 17 who stole a VTA (Santa Clara County) bus, and drove it to Hayward (Alameda County). Someone saw the bus which did not belong there, and called the police.
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