I love this town

This is a real "cut-and-paste" from my hometown newspaper. I should also tell you that Mr. W. Squires is a former student of mine. I should have spent more time on eluding and less time on elucidating, and perhaps he would have had his schnapps (he clearly doesn't know what he could have had with a little red wine and coke).

CRIME BEAT
Dad suspected of beating son, 7, for refusing to play video game
By PATRICK MALONE and NICK BONHAMTHE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
A Pueblo father is in jail for allegedly beating his 7-year-old son with a belt for refusing to play a video game with him.
Markus Ellsworth French, 27, was arrested Monday on suspicion of intimidating a victim or witness, domestic violence, two counts of child abuse and menacing with a deadly weapon.
Last week, personnel at French's son's school and a school resource officer questioned the boy about bruises on his legs and chest. The boy said he had run into a branch at a park, according to a report by Pueblo police officer Marvin Billings.
The boy had given his mother the same explanation, until a few days ago, when he admitted that his father had beaten him with a belt while she worked on the weekend of Nov. 25.
Enraged, the boy's mother told French to move out. He allegedly threatened to beat her, or have gang associates harm her if she called police, according to the affidavit.
Since she had confronted French, he kept a close watch on the woman, scarcely allowing her to leave their North Side residence, she told police.
On Monday morning, under the guise of driving their 7-year-old son to school, she drove to a pay phone and called police.
Officers found French at the couple's residence, where he was alone with their 11-month-old son. The woman told police she was reluctant to leave the infant behind with French, but had to in order to call 911.
When police arrived, they found French unsteady on his feet and wreaking of alcohol, with an open beer on a highchair. He sipped from the beer as police spoke with him, Billings reported.
After French's arrest, police interviewed his 7-year-old son. The boy admitted he had lied to the school resource officer about the cause of his bruises. Then he told police that his father began “whooping” him after he refused to continue playing video games with French.
French faces two counts of child abuse - one for the alleged beating of his son, and another for allegedly being intoxicated while he cared for the infant. He remained in jail late Tuesday in lieu of $50,000 bail.
THEFT THWARTED
NORTH SIDE
A liquor store owner and a patron subdued a would-be thief armed with a pair of scissors late Monday.
When police arrived, they arrested Waylon James Squires, 18, of the 2000 block of Jerry Murphy Road, on suspicion of robbery, menacing with a deadly weapon, theft and underage possession of alcohol.
At 11:30 p.m., the owner saw two men enter Village Liquor, 3037 N. Elizabeth St. One man picked up a $9 bottle of peppermint Schnapps and dashed out the front door, according to a report by Pueblo police officer Nathan Pruce.
The second man, later identified as Squires, walked quickly toward the door, but the owner blocked his path so he couldn't leave. The owner told police Squires threw numerous punches at him and pushed him backward into a display rack, forcing his way past the owner.
The owner caught up to Squires again near the door, and the pair grappled as they tumbled out the doorway. When they landed Squires sustained a cut on his head.
A customer who was just arriving as the struggle spilled out the door helped to corral Squires until police arrived. The second suspect was not found.
The wife of the store owner witnessed the incident. She told police Squires reached toward his sock during the melee. Police found a set of kitchen shears in Squires' pocket.
Because he seemed intoxicated and had a knock on the head, Squires got medical clearance at Parkview Medical Center before he was booked at county jail. He is free on a personal-recognizance bond.