June 12, 2007
Tuesday PM

I sent my kids off to the beach like so many parents do. Mine are a little older 2-19 and one is 22. I helped fill the backpacks with hot dogs, buns, marshmallows, gram crackers and chocolate. As they were getting ready to leave the 14 year old asked if he could go. I said yes that would be great, I wouldn't have to worry about him for a few hours. They told me they were thinking of not leaving the beach until around 11pm & they would probably be home around midnight. It was Saturday night so I though that was fine.

When they started to leave the beach they had some trouble because it was dark finding the trail back up to the car, which was parked at North Point Higgins School. They decided they should walk down the beach then up to South Point Higgins Road and maybe the cell phone would work and they could call for a ride back to the car. The phone had no signal so they decided to walk.

Between the 13 and 14-mile markers a vehicle traveling North hit the brakes and reversed back to them, asking them what they were doing and where they were going. After a few moments the vehicle left. They did not think anything about it.

When they reached North Point Higgins they saw the same truck in the church parking lot and heard the same voice asking what they were doing and where they were going. It was much too dark to see anyone, they just kept walking and two of them felt they were being followed yet the others reassured them they were not.

Sometime passed and the same truck came from the school area towards them passing very slowly. Now they were getting a little freaked out. A couple of minutes later the truck came back down the street and stopped. The passenger (about a 35 to 40 year old male) started yelling at them that they knew what they did. The first kid that asked "what did they do?" got sucker punched so hard it split his eye open. When the next male kid tried to ask what was going on he was shoved to the ground and punched many times. The other kids thought their friend was going to be killed. The 14 year old jumped the attacking man to get him off his friend, the attacker then proceeded to pound on the 14 year old. Finally the beating slowed down enough that my daughter told him they were sorry and just wanted to go to their car. He told them to go but hurry before he changed his mind. All this happened while the driver of the truck a 40 to 55 year old man just sat there and watched emotionless.

This is a sick & disturbing story and I have left out many details. I just want other parents to know that all the bad things that happen in this town, which we blame all the kids and young adults for, just may be the fault of an adult.

I have heard the rumor that the same two men and same description of vehicle assaulted another group of people. If you know them or you are one of them please file a report with the troopers.

It is all over and the physical wounds are going away. But the mental damage that has been done, how long will that take to go away???? How many nights will I have to leave all the lights on inside and out? How long will it take before I can take my kids to the store, without driving past every vehicle in the parking lot to make sure he's not there? How long will it take before they will walk down the street in beautiful Ketchikan and not fear for their lives?

An Angry Mother
Ann Smith,
Ketchikan AK

Another Angry Mother
Dawn Uttke
Ketchikan, AK

Received June 12, 2007 - Published June 12, 2007

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Ketchikan, Alaska