Steve Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 Boy , 14, lets burglar know whoâ??s in charge Michael Six describes whacking intruder twice with aluminum baseball bat By Mike Celizic TODAYShow.com contributor updated 6:21 a.m. PT, Fri., Jan. 18, 2008 If Michael Six decides to go into public service when he grows up, he could run as a modern-day Teddy Roosevelt. You know the type. Michael speaks softly and carries a Louisville Slugger. The shy 14-year-old from Mesa, Ariz., came to New York on Friday with his trusty bat to show TODAY co-host Meredith Vieira how he used the aluminum club against a burglar who was rummaging through his bedroom. â??I only hit him twice,â? Michael said almost apologetically of the incident that played out Tuesday morning in the Phoenix suburb. He demonstrated for Vieira how he whacked the burglar, later identified as Thomas Garza, a 30-year-old career criminal who was on parole at the time, twice across the back and shoulders. On the 911 tape of the incident, Garza can be heard yelling â??Please! Please! Please!â? after being hit. â??He turned around, snatched the bat from my hands. Then he threatened to kill me,â? Michael said. Instead, Garza left the building, climbing through Michaelâ??s bedroom window and fleeing to a neighboring yard where police, summoned by Michaelâ??s 911 call, took him into custody. After being read his rights, police said, Garza admitted breaking into the Six home. Michaelâ??s parents, Randy and Ophelia Six, were both at work when he heard someone break into the familyâ??s ranch-style house and start going through the rooms. He called 911 on his cell phone, speaking calmly to the dispatcher as the burglar went through his parentsâ?? room next to his. The tape of the 911 call is eerily calm. â??I was really scared,â? he said afterward. â??My adrenaline was running.â? But on the tape, the terror is between the lines. â??My house is being robbed,â? he tells the dispatcher. â??OK. Where are you?â? the dispatcher says. â??Are you inside or outside?â? â??Inside,â? he replies. â??And what's going on?â? â??Someone broke into my house. I don't know â?¦ I'm in my room.â? He retreated into his closet when the burglar came into his room, grabbing the bat he had used in his Little League days. The closet has no door, so he could see the intruder going through his things from the shadows. Meanwhile, he was still talking to the dispatcher. â??Heâ??s breaking in,â? he said. â??In your room?â? the dispatcher replied. â??Yeah.â? â??You need to get out the window.â? â??I can't.â? By then, Garza was going through Michaelâ??s backpack, and the ninth-grader at Kino Junior High School decided he had to do something. As the dispatcher called his name â?? â??Michael? Michael?â? â?? the sounds of the struggle play out in the background, with the burglarâ??s cries and his expletive-punctuated threat. Was he scared? Vieira asked. â??Pretty much frightening, yeah,â? Michael said. When Garza left the building, Michael climbed out his window behind him, saw the police arriving, and showed them where to go to find the suspect. His parents, summoned by the 911 dispatcher, arrived shortly after, relieved to find their son unharmed. When everything had calmed down, they went out and got two big dogs as insurance against a repeat of the frightening episode. So, Vieira asked Michael, what position did he play in baseball? â??Third base and a little bit of outfield,â? he said. â??Were you a good hitter?â? â??Average,â? he said. Garza, whoâ??s being held in jail without bail, may beg to differ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTO Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Not defending criminals, but the boy is lucky he didn't clobbered by Garza when he lost the bat to him. I assume this would be taken into consideration otherwise they may have found a unconscious kid or worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bust Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Michaelâ??s parents, Randy and Ophelia Six, were both at work when he heard someone break into the familyâ??s ranch-style house and start going through the rooms. Doesn't say if he was alone but if it was the case wouldn't you think the parents had some questions to answer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiery Jack Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Michaelâ??s parents, [color:red]Randy and Ophelia Six[/color]... F*cking hell, with names like that they ought to start a band. jacky six Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 A good lawyer for Garza can put the kid behind bars. Garza was unarmed and thought the house was empty. Then that vicious kid crept up behind him and attacked him without provocation with a baseball bat! Even though he had been attacked, Garza did not retaliate. The kid is dangerous and needs to be put away for years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torneyboy Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Not defending criminals, but the boy is lucky he didn't clobbered by Garza when he lost the bat to him. I assume this would be taken into consideration otherwise they may have found a unconscious kid or worse. Yes a brave but silly act at the same time ..imo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 [color:red]"A good lawyer for Garza can put the kid behind bars. Garza was unarmed and thought the house was empty. Then that vicious kid crept up behind him and attacked him without provocation with a baseball bat! Even though he had been attacked, Garza did not retaliate. The kid is dangerous and needs to be put away for years! [/color] Not really. Remember the crime happened in Arizona. Now if it was New York City, that would be a different story. 30-year-old Thomas Gonzales Garza of Chandler got busted on several felony charges including Residential Burglary, Aggravated Assault on a Minor, Criminal Trespassing and Criminal Damage. Remember, Mesa is in Maricopa county, home of the toughtest sheriff in the country, Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Ah, Sheriff Joe - the guy who makes prisoners grow their own food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangkoktraveler Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 and wear pink underwear so they will not steal them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 and wear pink underwear so they will not steal them. What's wrong with wearing pink underwear? :smirk: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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