A really dumb/strange question

[TXTing]

I'm (almost) embarrassed to ask, but here it goes anyway:

A friend of mine called me this morning telling me about how she spent Easter catching mice in her home. She used a no-kill mouse trap and caught eleven mice in one day. :eek:

Now the critters are in a spaghetti pot of all places (with ventilation) and we were talking about where to let them free. We were discussing all these different fields and woods and then I JOKINGLY said to cut them loose next to her ex-boyfriend's house. Well, she LOVED that idea, and I again in jest said that there probably was a law against that.

And then we were both wondering if maybe there really WAS a law that could apply to that situation given that it would be done to intentionally cause harm to someone else's property, or even health if you wanted to take it to an extreme.

Obviously it would be trespass if she were to enter his property (which wouldn't be necessary because the house is sufficiently close to public property), but could she hypothetically be charged with anything else?

I already advised her against it, but I said I would try to find out.

I'm sorry to be bothering you with something this silly, but inquisitive minds need to know even the dumbest of things.

[Piggy]

Remind her about karma, and remind her she's not in middle school anymore. It'll only lead to more problems in the long run.

[TXTing]

Remind her about karma, and remind her she's not in middle school anymore. It'll only lead to more problems in the long run.

I agree. Specifically 6 to 14 new problems at a time, up to 5 to 10 times a year... :eek:

I think (HOPE!) that at this point this is a purely hypothetical question about possible charges. I believe (HOPE!) that I have convinced her not to do it regardless of any legal implications.

I still wonder if one could somehow conjure up some criminal charge in that situation? :confused:

OR...it would set a precedent for a new town ordinance. ;)

[Kimble]

A bunch of mice let loose in someone's house will likely cause property damage. In AL that would be criminal mischief, but laws vary from one state to another, so there's no one-size-fits-all answer anyone can give you.

[Legoate]

How is she going to feel when he decides to retaliate by picking up a dozen rats at the local pet store?

[txinvestigator1]

I think if I caught eleven mice in my home IN A YEAR, I'd have other things on my mind.

[Legoate]

I think if I caught eleven mice in my home IN A YEAR, I'd have other things on my mind.

I actually hadn't thought of that. My wife made me buy a new stove after she saw a mouse in the kitchen about 4 years ago. She still brings it up to this day. Unfortunately for the mouse, I don't believe in humane trapping.

[BP348]

I think if I caught eleven mice in my home IN A YEAR, I'd have other things on my mind.

+1

Sounds like someone needs to learn how to clean their house.

[TXTing]

Thank you, ROS! I checked the criminal mischief statute for my state and it does seem to fit. If the mice were to cause damage of $500 or more it would even be a felony...

.........

OK. We bought two more traps to speed up the process, and a big plastic
storage container (with holes drilled into it). She already went through half a jar of peanut butter for bait. :eek:

We let the first "batch" loose in a field, away from civilization... But I'm sure there will be more...

I remember her telling me about a month ago that she kept seeing a mouse in her house and she thought it was fun to have a "pet" to keep her company. Well, I guess it wasn't the same mouse each time. :rolleyes:

I asked at the store about the chemical stuff to kill them, but they advised against it because the mice will end up dying behind your walls, in the ceiling and behind furniture. And the sticky traps are just plain cruel.

[TXTing]

+1

Sounds like someone needs to learn how to clean their house.

Oh, I second that !!! It's BAD (her "no good" ex-boyfriend, however, was a clean freak...)

And I'll even print your post out and give her "a cop's advice" on the issue. :D

[SnapShawt]

Tell her that having such a "pet" can be seriously traumatic to her health. Field mice can cause numerous problems, such as hanta virus, that are even fatal if not caught and treated early.

As far as intentionally letting them loose in someone else's house, yes, it would be a criminal act.

[Roger Dat]

Time to call pest control.

[TXTing]

Tell her that having such a "pet" can be seriously traumatic to her health. Field mice can cause numerous problems, such as hanta virus, that are even fatal if not caught and treated early.

Thanks for the warning! Now you've got me itching and scratching everywhere and checking my temperature every hour or so because I was over there helping her... :mad:

As far as intentionally letting them loose in someone else's house, yes, it would be a criminal act.

Is there a specific offense that would apply? Would that be criminal mischief?

The initial "thought" was to just let them loose NEAR his house (from public property), not IN his house. Obviously the hope/expectation is that they would enter his home, but chances are they might go somewhere else. It's kind of left up to nature. Is that still a criminal offense? Would you make an arrest for that? (I want to see that in the local police blotter...)

[TXTing]

Time to call pest control.

I bet that will cost her a fortune. Do you (or anybody here) happen to know what's involved in that? Do they fumigate the whole place? Well, I guess she'll just have to call a local business and find out.

But is there any chance that by trapping them (and releasing them FAR FAR away from the house) she can actually get rid of all of them? Or is that wishful thinking? So far it has been about 25 or so, and all but five were not fully grown, and some of them were tiny babies (and sooooo cute).

I know this is a police site so I apologize for these off-topic questions. :(

[lawduck]

I think if I caught eleven mice in my home IN A YEAR, I'd have other things on my mind.

:p:p:p:p:D:D:D