Bringing your "uncontrollable" six-year-old child to the police station to frighten her into behaving well probably seemed like a good idea, but when Annette Gerhardt and Gerardo Santiago actually did that with their daughter at the 120th Precinct on Staten Island, they got arrested for child endangerment. Gerhardt reportedly said, "I can't take her anymore... She is uncontrollable. I'm going to leave her here. If you don't take her, I will take her to the firehouse." Gerhardt says she winked at the cops so they'd know she was kidding, but the Finest thought the aggrieved parent was playing it straight.
A Staten Island Advance source said, "She was serious about dropping her off. She did not wink or nod, and the officers weren't in on her 'joke.' Certainly, this is not a joke." Further, the source claims that the cops offered to call ACS for her, "She wasn't hearing any of it. She didn't want them to call ACS," and Gerhardt left, only for Santiago to come in and say, "My girlfriend is bringing our daughter here to scare her and teach her a lesson, by telling her if she keeps acting up, we are going to leave her here."
Gerhardt and Santiago's daughter had been reprimanded at school, and their friend claimed she had taken her child to the 123rd Precinct stationhouse in Tottenville last year "with good results," that's why they headed to the 120th Precinct. Who knew the NYPD was running "Scared Straight" classes?! Their lawyer says it's just a big misunderstanding.
The couple, who were previously arrested for pot possession (half a pound was found in their home), were released on their own recognizance while their daughter was placed in the custody of her grandmother. Gerhardt told the Advance, "I was just trying to show her she has to listen to all adults, and that's it." Oh, and Gerhardt wants to sue the NYPD, too.
