running away from home

[CAbrat]

hi...
my dad beat me pretty bad tonite and i left the house and went to a hotel. i want to go stay with friends in LA but need to figure out how to get there. i don't have a lot of money so i used my dads credit card and my older sisters id for the hotel tonite. my question is can i get in trouble for using my dads credit card? is this theft or is it okay because he beat me and i cant stay at home? will the cops arrest me for running away or is it okay because it's my dads fault? please help...thanks

[Citicop]

Did you call the police to report the (alleged) assault?

That is what you should have done. Instead, you stole your dad's credit card (a felony), and then used it without permission (another felony) and used your sister's ID card (yet another felony). So in addition to running away (which you can get in trouble for) you added thee serious crimes onto your evening, when it could have been avoided.

-Citicop.

[CAbrat]

are you serious?? it's not like i did anything bad with the credit card and id. just trying to get out of the house. so at this point i'm better off just running away for good and make sure i don't get caught?? i didn't call the police because all they ever do is take me back home and then i'm in even worse trouble with my dad.

[Citicop]

The idea is to call the police before you leave home and report the assault (if in fact it was an assault).

Yes, I am dead serious. You "didn't do anything bad with it?" You stole it and used it to commit a fraud in your sister's name no less.

Lots of criminals run and try not to get caught. Very very few are successful at that long term. You have no way to support yourself (as evidenced by your theft of the credit card) so you would have to continue committing crimes in order to finance your life on the run.

Or you could act like a grown up, go home and accept the consequences of your actions.

The path you take is up to you.

-Citicop.

[Joeyd6]

You took a bad situation and made it worse. You can end up in a boatload of trouble if dad wants. 9-1-1 from the house would have been a lot better as Citicop explained.

[icu650]

How old are you?
What did you do to get your father mad?
Please don't say I didn't do anything. You know what started it.

[Cat_Doc]

You technically committed a felony by stealing and using your father's credit card. Whether he presses charges or not is up to him, no one else.

[CAbrat]

i didnt know it was this serious since my dad caused it and all. so i wont get arrested if my dad doesnt press charges, right? is my dad gonna get in trouble if i go to the cops now? is using my sister's id still a felony eventho she doesnt want me to get in trouble?

i'm 15. he beat me with a belt because i made a comment about his dumbass girlfriend. she's my sister's age (22) and i think that's gross. i dont wanna live in a house with some ho. i have some really nasty bruises on my right hip where the belt wrapped around but i dont want to get my dad in trouble. i just want to LEAVE. is that possible without just runing away??

[Citicop]

Your dad would have to give up custody of you (or allow you to live somewhere else) or you would have to fight it out in court.

Everything you did is still a felony regardless of whether or not they press charges. If they don't prosecute then the case will probably not go anywhere, but it doesn't change how serious what you did is.

Your dad didn't "cause it all."

YOU chose to steal his credit card and your sister's ID and leave. He didn't cause that. If you feel that he crossed the line between discipline and assault, then you can go to the police or child protective services. But trust me... Foster Care is not all that great either.

What you choose to do is up to you.

-Citicop.

[CAbrat]

lets say i went to the cops or called CPS...can they get me out of the house WITHOUT my dad getting charged with assault? I dont want to get my dad in trouble just leave. i do think he crossed the line with the welts (which are gone now) and the really bad bruises (which i'll probably have for a couple of weeks). he's beat me before but never this hard and i'm afraid it's just gonna get worse, especially if i go home now after being gone for a couple days and the credit card thing.

[Citicop]

Of course there is a chance he'll be charged. Just like you need to take responsibility for your actions, he has to be responsible for his.

There will be an investigation, and then a decision will be made... Both about what to do with you, and what to do with him.

Actions have consequences. Part of growing up is learning to accept them.

[BP348]

ii'm 15. he beat me with a belt because i made a comment about his dumbass girlfriend. she's my sister's age (22) and i think that's gross. i dont wanna live in a house with some ho. i have some really nasty bruises on my right hip where the belt wrapped around but i dont want to get my dad in trouble. i just want to LEAVE. is that possible without just runing away??

What are you going to do if your dad says it's Ok for you to go live with your friends in LA? How are you going to support yourself? pay rent, food or go to school?

I'm pretty sure that there was more to it then you calling the GF a dumbass but even still do you think that was the correct way to show your disapproval?

[CAbrat]

no, i didnt just call her a dumbass...it was worse then that i just can't put it here. it was over the top but im just so sick of my dad bringing girls hardly older then me into the house. i wish i still had my mom...

i'll figure out what to do. i don't even have my cellphone on me so don't know if he's even looking for me.

[Samuel]

no, i didnt just call her a dumbass...it was worse then that i just can't put it here. it was over the top but im just so sick of my dad bringing girls hardly older then me into the house. i wish i still had my mom...

i'll figure out what to do. i don't even have my cellphone on me so don't know if he's even looking for me.

Just go buy a new phone with his credit card...

[icu650]

This is escalating way out of control. If you go back it will be worse. You may get seriously injured or you may do something you didn't mean to do. This has to stop or all you will do is continue to commit felonies.
1. Look in the phone book for your counties Child Protective Services. If you can't find it call the police and ask if they have a Juvenile Aid Bureau. Contact one or the other and explain your situation and do as directed. Yes you made mistakes with the credit card and you will get in trouble. He probably put a stop on the card and next time you try to use it you may get arrested at the scene. To late to explain then. Most states have means of handling situations like this. You are a juvenile and the courts will treat you differently. Maybe even give you another chance at being good. LA is not a place for a 15 year old girl. You will wind up becoming the same type of girl that you hate your father being with. Get this all cleared up now. Your father should not have hit you like he did and he will have to face the consequences. If you don't go get help now you will create a problem much worse than you have now.