PopPop's blog: "BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse)"

This true story is as written by one of my bro's-Painter. I wasn't with them when this happened. It's about 3a.m. and 28 degrees down in a Texas town. I'm about a hundred feet from a dark house. Lights have been out all night. Take that as a good sign. The neighborhood is old and run down, lots of crack heads and prostitutes hang out there. Me and Ice have been here about 5days...there are at least 6 of us at all times posted around the house... just watching, just in case perp comes back as he threatened in calls. B.A.C.A. got the call about 2 weeks earlier from CAC (Child Advocacy Center).. some dumb sh*t f*&ker had changed a beautiful little girl's life for ever. He was charged, locked up and made bail the same weekend. A day or so later, the mom and little girl came home to find our little friends pet with it's head cut off, body drawn and quartered and spread all over porch. No witnesses. (wonder who the did that?). That's when the local BACA chapter got the call. Police can't sit on a house and guard 24/7. But we can.. and do. I hear some noise...step out of the shadows.. it's just the guy down the street who must have paper route loadin his car... seen him before. Ice Man is walkin toward me.. i look down in the gutter. See a syringe with needle..."Hey, Ice, look at that.." He picks it up and crushes it in his hands. "Don't want no kiddies findin that one". Kids play in the vacant lot each day. We walk toward the house..still dark.. maybe their gettin some sleep. Most times the lights have come on.... sometimes for an hour or two. Restless nights. I'm talkin to Ice..(jokingly but maybe not)"Damn its cold...ya know if we're here to protect this girl this ain't the way to do it.. . i can think of a better way to do it than standin out here like a target waitin for the son-of-a bitch to come by.." "Let's go find this sicko and end this so we all can get some rest." Ice is big man, old 1o/o.Wife is a Barger... cousin of "Sonny". He responds in a gruff voice.." Ah, Painter,... she's sleepin tonight. That's what we're here for.." Conversation continues.. but that's none of your business. As we walk a cop pulls up and stops. Rolls down window and says.." Quiet tonight?". Him an Ice start shootin the shit...(inside im thinkin.. sure different than old days). Police.....glad to see us and stop by often just to pay respects. They told us before we showed up that within that 4 block area they averaged about 8-12, 911 calls a night. It dropped to 0 after BACA had been there a night or two. It's gettin daylight... some more hours pass.. The front door opens on the house...our little friend steps out with mom right behind. First time I've seen her since i been there. Couple of the Sister's go up on porch and before long... that little girl is playin and runnin all over the place. She's out side for at least 45 min. to and hour. I'm gitten a little jumpy. Everyone's got it covered... just thinkin.. she's in the open and vulnerable. Perp was seen driven close area just day or so ago and today is Sat. Court on Tues. I relax a little and watch her play... GOOD TIMES. A neighbor is out (they like us too.. made them feel safe in their homes last few weeks).. he tells me that he hasn't seen her play like that... that usually she is only out for a few minutes since he's known them. I get some rest.. then do it again.. My times up. Another chapter has shown up and taken over. Head home. Get call from Big Owl... good news at court..Perp goes in for prelim hearing. thinks he's gonna walk back out.. Nope.. someone got picture of him driven by house with house in background. Violated V.P.O. They slap cuffs and lead him out. Real Good.... Couple weeks go by. Get e:mail from my Brother. He says our little friend gave him a picture she drew. It was a rectangle (her floor plan of house).. had two people inside and a small box. she had written in big letters "ME AND MOM WATCHING TV AND WE ARE SAFE!" All around the out side of the rectangle she had drawn little Stick Men..... That was us. That's when I got it.... what we really do.... we help our little friends feel safe.. strong.. not afraid by being there for them. Not about the perp.. not vengeance. It's really all about that little girl feelin safe inside.. inside her heart....you have to know what i mean..wish we could heal her heart.

It's several months since it all went down.. police come to house. interview with detective. Then go to Child Advocacy Center.. another interview with people u dont know... asking questions.. and letting u tell ur story using dolls and such... It's all recorded. But now it's preliminary hearing day.(when court decides if there is enough evidence to bind that perp over for trial)... for 3 days u have told ur mom... "I can't do it.. i can't testify... im afraid." Put ur self in her shoes... she's only 7, has to tell the story of sexual abuse in detail in a strange place.. in front of big people she doesn't know... with the perp setting less than 10ft away.. starring at her.. tryin to intimidate with every glance. The defense attorney purposely stands so when she answers.. she sees perp just to attorney's right. The morning of... " mom... i can't do it". Mom is torn.. how can i put my daughter through this... slowly she says " well.. lets just get in the car and go... if you really feel you can't when we get there... you won't have too." It's 8:30am... prelim scheduled at 9. B.A.C.A. brothers and sisters are in parking lot. waiting for our friend to arrive. Car pulls in.. she steps out... sees some big old burly friends and the familiar face of her B.A.C.A. liaison sister. She runs over and gives all a hug... she is center of attention. and fears are slipping away. Surrounded literally by B.A.C.A. she is escorted to D.A.'s office where she will await the call to testify. She is all smiles.. pickin on Minka about his shoes...all kidden and joken around.. still the center of attention... all our focus on her. Lots of rules and special instruction when we go to court. Don't want to do anything.. not anything that would jeapordize the case. Don't make eye contact with perp. Defense attorney jumps on that and says we are tryn to intimidate. Some one has checked with judge to see if its ok for us to wear our colors in court... if not we come prepared with black T-shirt..no emblemes..just plain. our little friend knows who we are ... colors or no. Bunch of other stuff about our behavior in court.. we follow it to the letter. Call comes and we head to court room.. again she is surrounded.. a human wall... Don't want perps family catching her eye or perp himself when he enters court room. she asks "will u all be with me in there?" Liaison says "sure... just look at us..we are here for u... don't worry about anything else". Once a little friend asked Book.." what should I say in there". Book got down on a knee and looked her in the eye..and said.."don't be afraid... and just tell the truth".. Defense attorney saw them talking and thought ...hmm.. can use that for witness tampering.. so he asked girl what Book told her..and on the stand for the jury to hear...she said " he said to tell the truth and i am"... Big Backfire... defense goes down in flames. She enters court room and takes stand.. Big Dawg and Zipper are settin behind perp... she sees them.. she testifies. Perp bound over for trial. Good Day! These are some of our best days. we will be with her for every hearing... every court appearance and for the trial...which, on average, will be two years from date of this hearing... We'll be there.