PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — No one expected 12-year-old Mackenzie Hughes to show up in a courtroom to face the three men who burglarized her Troutdale house this spring as she hid under a blanket and whispered information to a 9-1-1 dispatcher.
But Mackenzie, her mother and stepdad wanted the burglars -- who were about to be sentenced Friday -- to know how they'd changed her life.
"You picked the wrong house," said Mackenzie's mom, Tracey Ferguson, her voice unwavering. "Mackenzie Hughes is smart, and she is brave."
Mackenzie was praised across the nation for her courage, which was documented in a hair-raising 8-minute, 15-second 9-1-1 call.
•LISTEN to the 911 call
The then-sixth-grader appeared on CBS's "The Early Show" and NBC's "Today" show. The call enabled police to nab the burglars, who fled when they heard sirens.
Ferguson said her daughter, who asked her to speak on her behalf, is doing her best to deal with the psychological aftermath. But the May 24 afternoon break-in still haunts her. She doesn't like to be alone, not even for five minutes. She usually sleeps on the floor of her parents' bedroom.
"She has nightmares," Ferguson said. "She yells in the middle of the night. She gets up to lock the bedroom door."
The Morey Middle School seventh-grader worries that the burglars might come back to seek revenge. And so in the next few weeks, the family is moving.
"Every little noise she hears, she thinks it's you guys," said Mackenzie's stepdad, Gary Ferguson. "To live with the fear you've bestowed on her is a huge weight for a 12-year-old to bear."
All three men offered differing degrees of apologies in their separate hearings in Multnomah County Circuit Court, and they were given time behind bars. All of them previously had pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary, and two of the men to the theft of a laptop Mackenzie had paid for with her own money. One dropped it in the family's yard as police closed in, causing $600 damage.
Alexis Colindres-Munoz -- who entered Mackenzie's room as she lay under a blanket on her bed with 9-1-1 on the line -- was sentenced to six months in jail, three years of probation and 120 hours of community service. He could be released soon because he's served about 4 1/2 months in jail and might qualify for time off for good behavior.
Prosecutor Chris Mascal had evidence to show that only Colindres-Munoz was in the house because of his muddy shoeprints. The other two acted as lookouts or drove the getaway car, Mascal said.
"I really didn't know she was in the house," said Colindres-Munoz, 22. "I really didn't mean to hurt her psychologically. I have little sisters, too, and I wouldn't have wanted to hurt them."
Oregon sentencing guidelines recommend roughly 1 1/2 years in prison but allow the judge the option of giving only probation. The prosecutor asked for 366 days of prison.
Judge Kenneth Walker said he was giving Colindres-Munoz a lighter jail sentence because he cooperated with police, didn't have a criminal history and was young enough that his brain hadn't fully developed. That would help explain the "ridiculous, stupid decisions that young men make on impulse," Walker said.
Mascal said the other defendants were uncooperative and barely acknowledged their roles until a few days ago, when they pleaded guilty.
Colindres-Munoz is a U.S. citizen; the other defendants are illegal immigrants from Honduras.
Benito Flores-Amador, 23, was sentenced to 1 1/3 years prison, plus three years of probation if he isn't deported.
Defense attorney Joe Calhoun had asked Judge Eric Bergstrom to give his client probation. Calhoun said Flores-Amador hasn't cooperated because he worried if the wrong people labeled him a "snitch," he'd be killed.
Calhoun said his client fled from Honduras to the United States illegally because gang members were trying to force him to join. They shot off three of his fingers because he refused, Calhoun said.
"My client fears that his life is in danger if he returns to Honduras," Calhoun said, adding that Flores-Amador plans to fight deportation once he's done with prison.
Jorge Avila-Rodas, 27, also was sentenced to 1 1/3 years in prison and three years of probation if he isn't deported.
Defense attorney Lynne Dickison said her client also fears for his life if he's forced to return to Honduras.
Avila-Rodas looked at Mackenzie, her mom and her stepdad as he spoke. His face turned red. Then he apologized.
"The trauma the girl is going through fills me with sadness," he said, through an interpreter. "And the truth is I really regret that and it's not going to happen again."
Source - http://www.kval.com/news/local/104716209.html
20+ million ILLEGAL aliens are in the United States of America.
Right now in the United States of America, ILLEGAL aliens have more rights than you do!
9/26/2010 - HAZELTON, PA - UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - IT'S ILLEGAL TO ARREST AN ILLEGAL ALIEN. IT'S ILLEGAL TO ARREST OR PUNISH THOSE WHO HIRE OR RENT TO ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!
"There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people." --Theodore Roosevelt
"This nation is in danger of becoming a Third World nightmare with all the corruption, disease, illiteracy, violence and balkanization known all over the world. We need a 10-year moratorium on all immigration to catch our collective breath and we need deportation of over 10 million illegal aliens in a slow and orderly fashion." --Ed Garrison
“The 1987 amnesty was a failure; rather than reducing illegal immigration, it led to an increase,” FAIR stated. “Any new amnesty measure will further weaken respect for our immigration laws. Therefore, all amnesty measures must be defeated.” --Frosty Wooldridge
President barry shits on the United States.
This is a picture of YOUR American president, (president barry soetoro, a.k.a barack obama) refusing to acknowledge the National Anthem of the United States of America. This picture clearly shows barry with his hands crossed across his vaginal area when the United States Anthem was playing.
barry has NO RESPECT for you, me, or America! Not only did he disrespect America, he just shit on the graves of every American Soldier that has died for this country.
6/15/2010 - PRESIDENT BARRY CAN'T EVEN KEEP A U.S. PARK OPEN!!! He gave the park to mexico & the illegal alien mexican drug cartel!!!
7/6/2010 - American President barry soetoro sues AMERICA!!!
9/11/2010 - YOUR president just gave mexico $1 billion dollars for deepwater oil drilling despite his own moratorium on U.S. deepwater drilling!? More proof that barry hates America!
Treason
–noun
1. the offense of acting to overthrow one's government or to harm or kill its sovereign. 2. A violation of allegiance to one's sovereign or to one's state. 3. the betrayal of a trust or confidence; breach of faith; treachery.
Traitor
–noun
1. a person who betrays another, a cause, or any trust. 2. a person who commits treason by betraying his or her country.
Pslam 109:8
May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.
700 ILLEGAL ALIENS - 40 DAYS - ONE TRAIL
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400 ILLEGAL ALIENS - 35 DAYS - ONE TRAIL
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What's in their backpacks? Are any of them sick with a contagious disease?
United States Code, Title 8, Chapter 12, Subchapter II, Part VIII, §1325 - "Improper Entry by Alien," any citizen of any country other than the United States who: 1) Enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers; or 2) Eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers; or 3) Attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact; has committed a federal crime.
Violations are punishable by criminal fines and imprisonment for up to six months. Repeat offenses can bring up to two years in prison. Additional civil fines may be imposed at the discretion of immigration judges, but civil fines do not negate the criminal sanctions or nature of the offense.
ILLEGAL
-ADJ
1. FORBIDDEN BY LAW; UNLAWFUL; ILLICIT 2. UNAUTHORIZED OR PROHIBITED BY A CODE OF OFFICIAL OR ACCEPTED RULES
-N
3. A PERSON WHO HAS ENTERED OR ATTEMPTED TO ENTER A COUNTRY ILLEGALLY
Illegal Alien
–noun
1. a foreigner who has entered or resides in a country unlawfully or without the country's authorization. 2. a foreigner who enters the U.S. without an entry or immigrant visa, esp. a person who crosses the border by avoiding inspection or who overstays the period of time allowed as a visitor, tourist, or businessperson.
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