Deaf Autistic boy beats bicycle thiefs.

Bottesini

Bottesini

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DES MOINES—
When 11-year-old Duncan Ives rides his bike, all his problems just disappear. He becomes a normal kid, no more worries about his autism, about being deaf, about being different. It’s his escape. But last week, a different kind of escape, a group of teens much older and bigger surrounded Duncan on Maple Street on the city's east side, beat him up, and tried to steal his bike. "They just said that's my cousin's bike," Duncan says, "And they just… I think it was a dare to hit me."

One punched him in the nose, breaking it. Others kicked him while he was down. But he wasn't about to give up his bike without a fight. "Kind of tried to defend myself. So I kind of tried to get him off balance. Knock him off balance." Duncan explains.

You see, this is a very special bike. Duncan's grandfather gave it to him just before he died. “Because my grandpa... This bike makes me... It's a reminder that he's still not.. Makes me feel like he's not dead." Duncan says.

The five attackers beat Duncan up pretty good, but they didn't get his bike. His mom says kids with autism, like Duncan, often become very attached to things like this, especially when they remind the child of someone important.

"Something that they can cling to," Michelle Barger says "That's my special thing. That's my bike. My special thing.' They are very.. they think their stuff is very special to them. They treat everything as it's a golden gift."

Duncan's mom can't understand why anyone would attack a disabled child. She hopes anyone who saw the attack will come forward. Or better yet, she hopes the person who broke Duncan's nose will step up and apologize. "I don't hate him. I just want him to stand up, take the responsibility that he should be taking and realize that he made the wrong choice." she says.

As for Duncan, he just wants to ride, and forget all about the people that attacked him. "They're just cruel and mean" he says.

Anyone who witnessed the attack or has any information about the attackers is asked to call Des Moines Police
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FIGHTING BACK: Disabled Child Fights Group That Tried to Rob Him - WHO
 
:mad:that's terrible, hope they do too!
but I'm glad the boy is still going out and doing things and still riding his bike and that he expresses thoughts about it instead of bottling it up or doing other things.

I say he is a "normal kid".
 
And yet this doesn't surprise me one iota. There are some really horrible assholes out there. And let me guess, the kids were wealthy stuck up suburbanities.
 
deafdyke said:
And yet this doesn't surprise me one iota. There are some really horrible assholes out there. And let me guess, the kids were wealthy stuck up suburbanities.
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No that's kind of a poor, tough area of town.
 
I'm glad he defended himself and was able to keep his bike. Poor little guy probably would have been more upset about his bike being gone than the broken nose.

I hope they catch the hooligans responsible.
 
Poor boy. I hope those bastards will get caught!
 
deafdyke said:
Oh, in other words those assholes are like the assholes who stole my bike simply b/c it was mine?!?!?!
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Yes. But he managed to hang on to the bike and the five bigger boys did not get it.

We all hope they get caught.
 
How horrible! I do hope the thugs are caught and throw in jail and see how tough they really are!
 
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