Stash Of Gang Weapons Found Under Daycare Center

May 6th, 2009 (8) Posted By Erik Wong.

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HUNTINGTON, N.Y. (CBS) ― A Long Island daycare center was stripped of its license and shuttered by the state on Tuesday after a police raid uncovered a stash of illegal loaded weapons in the unlocked basement. The weapons were unsecured in a yellow laundry bag.

Kathryn Smith, 50, owner and operator of the “Just In Time Day Care Center,” was arrested.

Prosecutors said the arsenal of shotguns, handguns, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition belonged to Smith’s son, a reputed member of the Bloods street gang, and that when he was jailed recently, Smith and her husband moved them to the daycare for safekeeping.

It’s a charge her attorney, J. Stewart Moore, vehemently denies.

“A Tec-9 machine pistol, loaded 30 rounds, can you imagine what a young kid could have done if he had gotten that?” Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota said.

The facility inside Smith’s Lantern Street home had been licensed to care for 12 young children. Parents and grandparents who live on her street and who dropped off their kids from time to time reacted.

“Horrified, completely dismayed,” Helena Bostick said. “I didn’t hear any parents complaining. She had the daycare for quite a few years.”

“She’s a decent refined lady. The kids, she marched them like a little school and I was so proud of her,” Phemie Zervos said.

Kathryn Smith and her husband, David, pleaded not guilty to illegal weapons possession and conspiracy. Police said the couple has two younger children who were also at risk along with Smith’s daycare children in her charge.

In Nassau County two months ago, a child in a daycare died after taking a carrot out of a teacher’s bag and choking.

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  • YERMOM

    what the fuck does the last sentence have to do with this article?

  • http://WWW.FARMERS.COM AARON

    Forget about banning guns. We need to ban carrots! :shock:

  • MinneSoCold

    No shit, that last sentence is very odd. CBS = great journalism :roll:

    WTF? Did the Bloods go to a Hamas/Jihadist Training Seminar recently?

  • Graystoke

    Was it an assault carrot?

  • moriah

    “In Nassau County two months ago, a child in a daycare died after taking a carrot out of a teacher’s bag and choking.”

    They should not only ban carrots from Daycare they should create a more severe punishment for those who leave loaded carrots in their bags and stricter laws for those who steal them.. :lol:

  • moriah

    … the arsenal of shotguns, handguns, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition belonged to Smith’s son, a reputed member of the Bloods street gang, and that when he was jailed recently, Smith and her husband moved them to the daycare for safekeeping.

    “Safekeeping?” Oh, I get it. Safekeeping so that when he gets outa da Joint he can pick up where he left off, as far his “work” prospects are concerned. Either that, or join Acorn. It’s a toss up. :???:

  • ToeTagger

    Sounds like they were ‘safekeeping’ the secret of the family bidness.

  • http://a.staley@hotmail.com Mr. Jack

    I personally think that it’s horrible that those weapons were being kept in a day care center, however, it does, technically, make sense. I mean, how often do the cops raid daycare centers looking for Tec-DC9s? Obviously they were in on it, though, I’m sure they’ll be found guilty. I mean, how could they not have known it was illegal to have those weapons in the first place, let alone at a day care center?