in a shocking display of parenting prowess, a Rock Hill, S.C. woman reportedly called police and had them arrest her son after he was caught opening a Christmas present early. After receiving the call, police arrested the boy and charged him with petty larceny.

The Rock Hill Herald reported that the child's great-grandmother had warned him repeatedly about opening his present early, protestations that he apparently ignored. The present in question was a Game Boy Advance.

"He took it without permission. He wanted it. He just took it," the 63-year-old great-grandmother told the Herald. When the boy's mother found the package lying unwrapped and empty under the tree, she immediately approached the child, who proceeded to lie to her. After threatening him with calling the police, the boy apparently returned the toy to his begrudging mother, who then called the police anyway.

Although he was not jailed, the two officers responding to the call did charge him with petty larceny. The boy's mother told the Herald that she had reached the end of her rope with the child, and no longer knew what else to do with him. She claimed that she has been struggling with his constant behavior problems for a while now, and could no longer handle his misconduct. "I'm trying to get him some kind of help," the 27-year-old mother told the paper. "He's the type of kid who doesn't believe anything until it happens."

According to the boy's mother, he had already been caught shoplifting, stealing money from her, and punching a police officer. She told the Rock Hill Herald that she hopes this arrest will put a stop to his errant ways, because she is worried about his safety. The newspaper reported that the mother plans on having her son placed in the custody of the state Department of Juvenile Justice in Colombia at his court appearance.

eh? Is this a real story? If it is, and I was the mother, I'd be more concerned about my parenting skills... or lack thereof I should say. Out of curiosity, I wonder how old the boy is?

I'm 23. And we are poor, it wasn't even an Gameboy Advance SP, nor was it new.

i was just goofing. i bet the kid is 12 or something if it's legit.
I think I read the kid punched a cop. Must be a young brat if it wasn't arrested for assault of an officer at that time.