Does this punishment fit the crime?” This is a question all parents find themselves asking when they have to discipline their kids, and while his parents were on vacation, 14-year-old Angel Martinez didn’t exactly live up to his name. One bad decision led to his parents giving him a most unorthodox punishment that many say went too far. Simply grounding Angel for a month would’ve been too easy.
Teenage Rebellion
You’re 14 years old and free of any parental supervision — what would you do first? Some of us would’ve gone the Home Alone route and raided the pantry for junk food. Others would have thrown a giant party. Angel Martinez (below), however, had other plans.
Home Alone
When the Phoenix teenager’s parents went on vacation to Las Vegas, Angel was left to his own devices. In his version of the story, it all started innocently enough: Instead of throwing a rager in his parent’s home, he wanted to do something nice for them.
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Angel the Angel
He had his eyes on the family Range Rover, which was just chilling in the driveway like a sitting duck. Some kids would have immediately grabbed the keys, but not Angel. He wanted to surprise his parents…so he hand-washed the car.
Logical Thinking
That’s when Angel ran into a problem. How do you dry a car off after you wash it by hand? Surely, letting it air-dry in the hot Arizona heat wouldn’t work. That’s when Angel had his most logical thought yet: He’d dry it the old fashioned way.
Teeny Tiny Joyride
He grabbed the keys, hopped into the car, and turned the ignition. With that, the license-less Angel stomped on the gas and took off. His quiet, residential street was suddenly filled with the sound of squealing tires…which was a big problem, just not for Angel.
Disturbing the Peace
You see, his residential street was home to families with kids and pets who sometimes accidentally wandered into the road. They enjoyed a quiet life; having Angel suddenly careening through the streets like a madman wasn’t exactly ideal.
Calling the Police
What Angel described as a “spin around the block” didn’t sit well with his neighbors, who feared for his life, their lives, and probably for the survival of their front lawns, which were right in the line of Angel’s reckless driving. So, they called the police.
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Fitting Punishment
Before Angel could say “joyride,” his parents received a call from the police (and from concerned neighbors) and effectively hit the breaks on their vacation. On the flight back to Phoenix, they had plenty of time to come up with the appropriate punishment…
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Creative Thinking
Which is when things went from reckless to downright controversial. Most parents would have grounded their kid or taken away his video game privileges, but the Martinez’s had a better idea. If they wanted to get through to Angel, they had to get creative.
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The Big Punishment
The day of the Big Punishment, neighbors peered out their windows and once again looked towards the Martinez house. There was another disturbance…but this one was welcomed. They saw a strange sight: Angel’s bedroom…on the front lawn.
Teaching Angel a Lesson
In an effort to teach Angel a lesson, his parents forced him to put everything from his bedroom out onto the front lawn. They weren’t selling it, however. With a confused-looking Angel sitting on his bed, people were encouraged to take whatever they wanted for free.
Emptying Angel’s Room
“We took all his stuff out, his room is 100 percent empty,” Angel’s father, Ramon, explained. “We’re just giving all his stuff away.” It was the punishment we’ve all heard in unrealistic teen movies: “If you don’t listen, we’ll give away all of your things.”
Every Kid’s Nightmare
But this wasn’t a bad teen movie, and the Martinez’s weren’t threatening Angel — they were following through. It was every kid’s nightmare brought to life, and some people found the Martinez’s reaction to be too harsh…until details came out about Angel’s past.
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Angel’s Past
As it turns out, this little joyride wasn’t exactly Angel’s first offense. In fact, he’d been in hot water a few times in the past, and by the time he got behind the wheels of his parents’ Range Rover, they were both at the end of their ropes.
Funny Sign
A sign perched against Angel’s bed explained it all. “Sorry I stole my parents car and was ‘speeding’” was written across the cardboard for all to see. Such an intense (and embarrassing) punishment may seem a little too strict…
Long Time Coming
But to the Martinez parents, the punishment more than fit the crime — it was a long time coming. While Ramon sat in a lawn chair sipping a glass of water, neighbors and passersby collected Angel’s belongings for free, including his name-brand clothing and expensive electronics.
Dangerous Actions
Before long, Angel’s bed was taken, too, forcing the teen onto the grass. Meanwhile, Ramon explained why he chose this punishment in the first place. “Mostly to apologize to the neighbors,” he said. To him, Angel’s actions were too dangerous to ignore.
“Things like this will not be tolerated”
“He could’ve ran someone over. Something really bad could’ve happened,” Ramon said. He hopes that this punishment teaches Angel that “things like this will not be tolerated,” and that his actions, however fun they were at the time, can have not-so-fun consequences.
A “Fair Punishment”
Surprisingly, though, Angel wasn’t too upset about this particular consequence. “It’s kind of weird,” he admitted, “but, like, I think it’s a fair punishment.” Even though Angel wasn’t the one who paid for all of the bedroom furniture, this punishment still hit him where it hurts…
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Roughing It
Right in the ego. Without his designer apparel, top-of-the-line electronics, and brand-new bed, Angel will be roughing it for the time being…or at least until his parents decide he’s learned his lesson. One thing’s for sure: Angel won’t be joyriding again anytime soon!
