Teenagers arrested after "turkey toss"

[Lisa loves Pooh]

OKAY--I change my mind--ringleader should have the book thrown at him--driver of the car charged with the behavior of his passenger (b/c we are responsible for our passengers)...reading the story--I can believe that the guy might have lied to the ladies--unfortunatley--it would be hard to prove otherwise. All occupants of the car should have to do something though--volunteer hours or otherwise--they need to learn not to hang with the bad crowd.

This all still sucks for the poor lady!!!!



Alleged ringleader pleads not guilty in turkey toss


BY DENISE BONILLA
STAFF WRITER

November 19, 2004, 1:44 PM EST

Five of six teenagers arrested in an incident involving a woman who was seriously injured when a fresh turkey was thrown at her windshield have been arraigned on various charges.

Ryan Cushing, 18, of 122 Willow Ave. in Huntington, described as "the ringleader" among the group, pleaded not guilty to charges first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, second-degree forgery, third-degree criminal mischief and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.












Cushing faces the most serious charges of those arrested for the turkey-throwing incident which left a woman driver with a broken nose, cheekbones, a jawbone and other injuries. In a news conference Thursday, a family members said the alleged victim has not regained consciousness.

First District Court Judge Paul Hensley in Central Islip set bail at $250,000 cash or $500,000 bond. Cushing's attorney Vincent Trimarco of Smithtown, called Cushing and said he's not charged with intentionally doing anything harmful. Trimarco asked that Cushing be placed on suicide watch at the Suffolk jail and said the teenager needs psychological attention.

Cushing's parents were in court but wouldn't comment.

Lawyers for his five co-defendants place the blame for the woman's injuries on Cushing, saying they had no idea he would throw the turkey from the moving car at another car going in the opposite direction.

In fact, a lawyer for two female teenagers who were also arrested in the incident, said they thought the turkey was going to be cooked and eaten by the group.

One lawyer, Pat O'Connell of Shirley, said before the turkey was thrown, three cars were driving together. Arrested in the first car were: Driver Michael Hasbrouck, 18, of Centereach and passenger Steven Manzolina, 17, of Selden.

In a second car were two others who have not been arrested. In the third car was three others who were arrested: Jack Cutrone, 18, of Selden, who was driving the car, his girlfriend, Rachel MacDonald, of Centereach, and Cushing, who was in the back seat.

As they were driving down the road in Lake Ronkonkoma, Cushing allegedly threw a turkey, bought with a credit card allegedly stolen by Manzolina, at an oncoming car, Suffolk police said.

O'Connell said Cutrone pulled up to the other cars and yelled, "Hey, this guy threw a turkey and smashed somebody's windshield." The other kids said, "you're lying to us." But Cutrone told them they needed to pull over, so all three cars pulled into a nearby parking lot.
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[superbird]

Sad to say they were trouble. They used a stolen credit card to purchase thew turkey with at the supermarket too. Where were the parents as usual!!!!

 

[msdznyduck]

I don't believe for a minute the story about how they were going to cook it. IT WAS FROZEN...........I don't know about anyone else, but when I was 17 or 18, going to the store with 5 friends and buying a frozen 20 pound turkey that could not be cooked for at least 3 or 4 days due to defrosting, was not anything I would have done. "Hey, lets go to the store with this stolen credit card and buy a frozen turkey to cook 4 days from now when it defrosts....." Give me a break.
They should have to go to the hospital and see that poor woman and pray she doesn't die. (except her family would probably (and rightly so..) have to be restrained from beating the you know what out of them.

Jail time (a few years) and community service, volunteering in a hospital seems about right. I like the idea of paying $1 a month for life, so they can remember every month what they did.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I believe they should do some jail time, maybe until they are 21, and then they should have many years of community service, working with accident victims who were hurt in ways that they hurt this poor woman. They should also have to pay some hefty fines.

The other angle of this story that makes me sick is that they did this with food. I think that part of their community service should entail working in a homeless shelter, serving food to hungry people in need. That turkey could have fed a family, probably 2 or 3 families.

They deserve to be punished.

 

[gottaluvPluto]

OMG!!! These kids should do some serious time. Please, don't for get the victim and her family. Especially, if she has young kids. What if she died and her kids had to live without a mom because someone tried to be funny by hurting someone. When you are 16,17 and 18 you know you can hurt someone by throwing things out of a moving car.

I am so happy the woman is doing better and I will say some prayers for her and her family.

 

[Pugdog007]

This is awful and they should all have to do jail time.

The most obvious question to me... is wouldn't a red flag go up if a bunch of kids walk into a Blockbuster or a supermarket and charge hundreds of dollars? Doesn't make sense.

 

[poohandwendy]

I think the person who actually threw the turkey should receive jail time. The others, they should receive whatever punishment comes from theft and criminal mischief (possible jail time, I am sure). (we are talking stealing a credit card out of a car and then a spending spree of over $500 of goods, over a few hours time...this is not a bunch of 'good kids' having fun, this a group of CRIMINALS)

The one who threw the turkey could have killed many people. He was lucky that he probably will not have to live with that. This woman may never fully recover and could have been killed. She could have had children just like mine in the car, she could have hit another car. I do NOT believe this kid did not know that he could be causing a very dangerous situation, I really don't. The appropriate punishment is jail time, IMO.

We cannot allow young people to think causing a dangerous and possibly fatal situation will be treated lightly, just because they were playing around. That is not a good enough excuse for almost killing someone.

Let's remember that drunk drivers are also just having fun and do not intend to hurt anyone. Do we just say, poor thing...let's not ruin his life? I don't think so.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Originally posted by poohandwendy
Let's remember that drunk drivers are also just having fun and do not intend to hurt anyone. Do we just say, poor thing...let's not ruin his life? I don't think so.

EXCELLENT POINT!!!

 

[greenban]

Originally posted by robinb
I repectfully disagree. This is sad and and stupid but they did not throw the turkey to intentionally hurt someone. Exactly what would spending a long time in jail accomplish except to ruin 6 young lives?

And I also respectfully disagree with you.

This was intentional.

They stole the credit card.

They bought a frozen turkey (Can't cook it until it defrosts, several days)

They threw it out the window of a moving car, directly at another car.

I agree, they probably didn't intend for what happened to happen, else they would have used a gun and just shot someone for fun, but....

This lady will never be the same, she probably will have chronic pain, memory loss, personality change (all common with head injury cases), she will need extensive and expensive surguries and rehab.

All of these 'children' deserve jail time. The 18 year old adult ringleader deserves prison time of a few decades.

I just can't understand how some of us consider them poor, misguided children who made a bad decision.

I'm not saying you do not sincerely believe what you post, I'm just not able to understand your POV.

 

[superbird]

Let's not ruin their lives with jail????? Most of them already have prior records!!! From what are local paper who interviewed some of their peers from school they were trouble makers already. Lock them up and throw away the keys!! They already are on the path to trouble!!!

 

[disney-pins]

JMO...The one who threw the turkey definitely should be prosecuted and serve jail time. He took something heavy enough and dangerous enough, and threw it from a moving car at another moving car, at an innocent driver. Besides her physical damage, what about the mental trauma?

As for the others who stole the credit card and used it to make purchases, they also should be prosecuted. They stole and forged a signature to obtain goods for their own use illegally. We are not even talking about a single incident....they went to multiple stores on a mini shopping spree.

I say that jail time is definitely in order....and for the so-called innocent bystanders that just happened to be with them, a minimum of community service and a record for criminal mischief.

There are 18 year old young men and women serving their country in Iraq now. What a contrast between them and the hooligans in this sad story.