Father of child armed robbery suspect arrested
PORTLAND, Ore. – Members of the Portland police gun task force arrested the father of one of two young boys accused of being involved in a recent armed robbery attempt, a police spokesman said Tuesday.
Sgt. Pete Simpson said Joseph Charlton, 34, was arrested in his home in the 16000 block of Southeast Alder Street while officers served a search warrant.
Charlton faces a charge of leaving an unsecured firearm for a minor. The charge is a city ordinance that is being used for the first time, Simpson said. It is one of several that were put into place in 2010 with the goal of curbing gun violence in Portland.
The armed robbery happened Saturday. According to investigators, two young boys approached a woman in the parking lot of Freedom Foursquare Church (located next door to the home where the father was arrested) and tried to steal her truck. Police said an 11-year-old boy flashed a handgun during the robbery.
"He said it was fully-loaded and cocked and ready to go," the victim, Amy Garrett said. "He told me he was going to blow my brains out if I didn't give him anything."
Garrett said when she refused to give the boys her truck, they demanded her wallet and phone and told her they would shoot her if she didn’t give them anything.
"My heart was beating a million miles a minute," she said. "I'm surprised it didn't completely beat out of my chest. I was very scared."
When officers responded, they spotted the two boys, who tried to run away. Officers stopped them near the church and told the 11-year-old to keep his hands out of his pockets. Simpson said the boy refused and an officer grabbed his arms. That's when the officer found a cocked and loaded handgun in the boy's pocket.
That boy's father, the man who was arrested on Tuesday, had spoken with KATU the day before and said he was trying to get his son on the right path. He also said the gun used in the crime did not come from his son.
"My son said they had basically acquired the gun from a local troublemaker in the neighborhood," Charlton said at the time.
During Charlton's arrest, his three children (a 4-year-old, 9-year-old and the 11-year-old accused of the armed robbery) were taken into protective custody. Simpson said the childrens' mother is not facing charges.
Charlton has a criminal record for multiple assaults and spent three years behind bars (from 2002 and 2005).
Later in the afternoon on Tuesday, an officer began searching two trucks parked in front of Charlton's home. Animal services had also been at the home earlier and removed at least one animal.
If you own guns you MUST be responsible, lock them up!
I have a good friend who learned that one the hard way. She never locked up her hand gun nor did she keep the ammunition locked up.
Her young teen son and his friends decided to check out the gun and her son was shot from behind, shattered his jaw and other serious injuries to his head. He survived and is still having surgeries to correct the damage - that was 8 years ago.
Lock up your guns people....REALLY!
Maybe there should be an IQ test for gun ownership...it would be a start considering...
The mother does not face charges but she also was not given custody back of these three children?Â
Two and two are not adding up here. Three children are now in the care and custody of the state? I am alright with that... but what's up with mom caring for her three young children? Why can't and why WON'T she?Â
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No wonder this kid became an enraged gut toting nightmare - who was mentoring to and properly PARENTING any of them. All three of them?Â
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No one. I guess.Â
We have many guns in our home. THEY ARE IN A SAFE!!! Gun owners must at least attempt to be responsible. It's the same thing as "child-proofing" your home. Poisons/medications all put out of our childrens reach. It's what we do as responsible parents. I was willing to give this father a chance to show that this was a very isolated incident, but then the very next day this 11-year-old strolled up to the KATU reporter while he was interviewing the girl they threatened to kill and rob!!!! In my mind this was further proof this child has NO supervision, clearly was not even punished. The mother should be in trouble and held accountable also.
Time to chlorinate the gene pool. Charlton is not a father, just another breeder. I'm guessing the odds are long on saving the 11-year-old but hopefully the other two can be saved if they remain out of custody of their biological parents. Some kids just never have a chance. Sad.
How creepy is this.. Who lets his 11 year old boy have access to a gun ? At this point we are in the process of building new jail cells to hold his son and he doesn't seem to care.. I knew when I read last nights comments and "lips" was all over the comments , that this guy was the bad apple in the neighborhood.. Disgusting..
The lame part is men like this think they are teaching their children to be men..
 @dougrpdx I had access to guns all of my life. they were hung on the rack in my parents bedroom. My other siblings nor I ever thought about them until it was time to hunt, or go target practice. Same with my kids... they all had access when they were young. None of them ever thought about abusing them. My parents made sure we had Hunter Safety / Firearms training as soon as we were able... same with my kids.
 Some people especially... city people that don't have a range to go to don't look at a firearm as a tool to feed themselves, or as a recreational device, but rather as a tool of intimidation. I doubt if any of them could even break down a firearm to properly clean it.
 Urban areas have become such a cesspool that to not be armed should be a crime. If that kid would have pointed his fathers penis extension at me, my Wife, or any of my family when I was present he wouldn't be out roaming the streets now.
Joseph Charlton is a living, breathing example of why we should allow all prison inmates to be surgically sterilized if they choose to do so. I'd even advocate early release from prison (up to 25% reduction of time served) if inmates would opt for this surgery. Obviously it would be a one-time deal for the inmate, but it would ultimately prevent them from producing children they can't/won't parent, and would save taxpayers a ton of money.
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""My son said they had basically acquired the gun from a local troublemaker in the neighborhood," Charlton said at the time."Â Introducing, Joseph Charlton, Neighborhood Troublemaker.
 @HenryBowman well at least he told the truth! lol
I'm glad to see laws in Oregon that people who supply firearms that are used to commit crimes being held responsible if some since of the law. Â
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I'm pro-firearm but I do think more laws are needed to stem to source of firearms that are used to commit crimes.
@MarkKpic  Felons can have guns if a gun was not used in their crime.  Just requires a court petition to be approved.
 @RandyH  @MarkKpic If I understand it correctly, the federal code says that no person convicted of a felony may own a firearm, irrelevent of the charges. Again, I don't know of the specific convictions in Mr Charltons past, but the assaults (if they were felonies) would be sufficent to preclude his right to own firearms in OR, as they were violent crimes against persons.Â
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Oregon, however, does offer some situations in which a convicted felon may own a firearm.Â
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Not sure if there has been an appelate or circuit court decision on the issue.Â
Put the whole family in the same cell and throw away the key!
 @jpk oh c'mon now...there is a 4 yr old in that bunch. Lighten up.
Geez this family is line for the Darwin award for 2012. Apparently the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree. Too bad this guy had the opportunity to procreate.
What a piece-of-work for a father figure, but at least he taught his kid's about the dangers of loaded firearms at an early age and lying to the police is the only way to go...
 @boned And he went on Camera to say that he was trying to teach his kids the right thing to do? this really bites.
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Well, I said they should charge the father for the crimes, but, I didn't think they would really do it.
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"My son said they had basically acquired the gun from a local troublemaker in the neighborhood," Charlton said at the time.
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So he was telling the truth.
"My son said they had basically acquired the gun from a local troublemaker in the neighborhood," Charlton said at the time.
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Yes, apparently he did.Â
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'During Charlton's arrest, his three children (a 4-year-old, 9-year-old and the 11-year-old accused of the armed robbery) were taken into protective custody.'
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Although I'm not a big proponent of the state taking custody of children, from evidence gleaned from the stories it appears that this is a past due intervention into (at least) the 11 year olds life. Hopefully, a custodial agreement can be worked out between CPS/DHS and the childs mother to return custody under some supervision and paternal support.Â
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'Charlton has a criminal record for multiple assaults and spent three years behind bars (from 2002 and 2005).'
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Don't know the details, but if he's a convicted felon he should not be in possession of a firearm in the first place. As I've suspected from the day of the original story.... the apple wasn't falling far from the tree.Â
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Hopefully, with some intervention and the removal of the paternal seed from the home, all 3 children can be raised with some appropriate societal guidelines and respect for other people.
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 @MarkKpic Ain't going to happen in foster homes and mama better step in quick to fix this mess unless she is as screwed-up as daddy...
 @boned  @MarkKpic REALLY?? Now don't trash all foster parents. It's a tough job and there truly are some (more than just a  few...you could volunteer yourself) hard working open-hearted saints amongst them who have saved and turned kids' lives around.Â
 @whirledworld  @boned Well said, WW. I know of many more successes in foster care than failures. Definately some excellent people who devote their lives, and open their homes, to those most in need.Â
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It's probably too late for this kid to be saved from himself. A good start would be jailing him for a week and pointing out that this is his future unless he gets his life together and accepts WORKING and LEARNING for his future. I think he needs a change of address for sure.
 @OCJohn Could send him off to one of those "Boot camps"
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This guy obviously has problems raising kids that are fit for the rest of society. maybe if he couldn't make any more "mistakes" we would all be better off
Too bad he wasn't in jail 11 years and 9 months ago.
 @al_02 lol
I didn't lie in the KATU interview, if you can't see my face, it''s not lying.
Way to go pops, teach the kid that it's ok to lie to the police and media. Â Good examples being set all around. Â Not a big surprise that his 11 year old is holding people up at gunpoint. Â Crime, it's a family tradition!
No remorse look there either..... Glad something is being done..
Any bets on the breed of dog removed from the home? Hmmm...what could it be? What breed would a white trash POS have? Hmmm
@oh4FS In all my years, scumbags that I have ever encountered almost always have some sort of pitbull. Why is that the dog of choice for criminals in general? I truly hate that breed. Now I'll get the people who claim they are wonderful dogs, yadda yadda.... save it.
 @LuLu Belle Not gonna "save it." Your ignorance is astonishing. Please don't hate the breed, hate the behavior of the people who have given the breed a bad name.
 @oh4FS I'm guessing a pomeranian.
@John Bain @oh4FS LOL!
Those kids need to be removed from their "care." These so-called "parents" make me want to puke.  It's clear they are not up to the task.
Chinbearded loser
Here he is just last year. Would like to know what the charge was:
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http://pdxmugshots.com/mug/joseph-charlton
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 @SerenityWowz  @brautigan Oh. My. Icky.
 @brautigan And on Valentine's Day, to boot. That does invite groundless speculation.
So glad the cops are doing something...seems like this family and the 11 year old have the whole neighborhood hostage...I just have to wonder if that girl had been a cops daughter or mayor or governor's daughter if something would've been done sooner ..hmmm. at least they found something to get them on
@Pazzo1 Well the cops can't do anything if they don't know about it. The woman whose husband had a knife pulled on him said she she didn't report it but now wishes she had.
SPANK HIM PUBLICLY!!! the father i mean
@Phuzz Oh yeah like that caning in, where, Singapore? I suspect THAT kid found the straight and narrow.
"My son said they basiclly aquired the gun from a local trouble maker in the neighbourhood"......Does anyone think that perhaps dad was referring to himself as the trouble maker.......He and his son should be nuetered so that this kind of behaviour stops in this "family"
I knew it! I read somewhere that the 11 year old had been bragging that he could get a gun from his father. I really hope those kids get some much needed counseling now. Keep them away from that pond scum father!
Oh my! I wonder if he will be out of jail in time for Father's Day.
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It is all about choices - this guy has made some terrible ones, and unfortunately, his kids are going to end up making similar dumb choices in their lives.
Seems the stupid nut doesn't fall from the tree of stupid fatherhood.....
So...isn't the kid's mother going to be charged with anything??? Last I heard, BOTH parents are responsible for the safety and well-being of their spawn.
@fracas I agree that its both parents responsibility, I believe the law is written so that its the gun owner who is responsible, not the child's parents or the owner of the premises where a weapon is discovered. This is to keep responsibility soley on the gun owner.