Dawson Blaine King, the 15-year-old W-Section resident who went missing last week, was returned home Tuesday only to run away again, was located at a B-Section home after Dawson himself sought to inform the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office of his whereabouts.
A battery charge against King that his step-father had signed after an altercation Tuesday evening will be dropped, the step-father told authorities.
An incident report states that Dawson had gone to the home of Natasha Cooper on Brelyn Place earlier Wednesday, after getting in a fight with his step-father and an argument with his mother.
“Dawson,” the reporting deputy said, “was in good health and I transported him back to his residence at 47 Westmount Lane.” Dawson was turned over to the custody of his stepfather, Jimmy Riddle, who told police that he would be going to the State Attorney’s office Thursday morning to drop the charges he’d signed. “It should be noted that Jimmy was unhappy with the FCSO services and I offered to have Dawson stay at the Beach House,” the deputy reported, “however he declined.”
A sheriff’s incident report also noted that on Tuesday, before the eventual altercation, Dawson had tried to go home but had been refused. Cooper had called his mother multiple times, according to the report, “but Dawson’s mother would not answer the phone. She then advised that Dawson tried to go home, but his mother refused to answer the door and let him in. Dawson stated that his mother knew where he was. Natasha stated that Dawson’s mother told her he could stay there, and Natasha could send Dawson home when he is ready to return.” Deputies went back to the Westmount Lane home, and at that point Dawson’s mother, Heather Napier, said she wanted her son home.
Late that night the altercation developed and Dawson ran away again.
At 1:40 p.m. Thursday, the sheriff’s office issued an update to its earlier advisory announcing the return of Dawson to his home.
On Friday (Jan. 23), Riddle called FlaglerLive to complain about details of the matter being reported, and said he originally wanted to file the charge against his stepson “to teach him a lesson,” though now his stepson, he said, was being “slandered.” He ended the conversation with an expletive.
The earlier story is below.
Missing Teen Briefly Returns Home After 5 Days, Flees Again, Now Faces Battery Charge
Jan. 21–It happened in November, and it’s happened again over the past six days, twice: authorities are seeking the public’s help in locating Dawson Blaine King, a 15-year-old resident of 47 Westmount Lane in Palm Coast.
Dawson went missing on Jan. 15, returned home Tuesday, got into a series of altercations with his family, then ran away again late Tuesday night, and now faces battery charges, which have been forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office, according to a Flagler County Sheriff’s incident report.
Jimmy Riddle, 43, reported to police Tuesday that after Dawson–his step-son–was returned home, Dawson began yelling and cursing at Riddle and at Dawson’s mother, 37-year-old Heather Napier. Napier told police that Dawson went into the bathroom and turned on the shower for 90 minutes, at which point his mother shut off the water. Dawson emerged from the bathroom dry, upsetting his mother over the fact that he was wasting water.
Dawson, his mother said, “then began yelling and cursing at her, and began slamming doors,” and at one point, Napier said, told his mother: “I dare you to go to sleep.” Napier felt threatened. Riddle then approached the 15-year-old boy and told him to stop disrespecting his mother. An altercation began between the two, with Dawson allegedly at some point pushing his step-father into a dresser. Riddle told police that Dawson “then broke one of the chairs in the living room and went into the garage where he allegedly damaged a front license plate on the vehicle parked in the garage.”
Following the boy into the garage, Riddle said Dawson then pushed him a second time then ran away from the back of the house into the woods. Riddle was not injured. Dawson’s older brother, Darris King, 18, corroborated the sequence of events to police.
Riddle said he wanted to file charges against Dawson for domestic battery. Deputies tried to find Dawson at 16A Brelyn Place, where he had been located earlier, but the residents there said they’d not seen him. “Multiple attempts were made to locate Dawson, but were met with negative results,” the incident report states.
Earlier that very afternoon the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office had issued a missing-person advisory that helped lead to the location of Dawson before the altercation later. In the advisory, the sheriff’s office referred to Dawson as “a frequent runaway.” In November he had run away for eight days.
On Jan. 15, Dawson left home around 4 p.m., according to a separate incident report. His mother told police that “a possible motive for Dawson leaving the
residence today was to participate in narcotic activity with his friends,” according to the report. Deputies canvassed various areas of Palm Coast’s B and R Sections, where Dawson is believed to hang out, but were unsuccessful.
Dawson King is a white male, 5’11” tall, 140 pounds and has blonde hair. Anyone who has seen King is asked to call the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911 in reference to case number 2015-5662.
Well says
He is a kid with obvious issues. I don’t think placing battery charges against him and publicy acknowledging it is going to make him come crawling back.
NortonSmitty says
So, this is what 2015 looks like here in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave? We’re going to give a troubled 15 year old a Felony arrest record for the rest of his life for a typical and time honored hormonal tantrum? WTF?
anonymous says
battery is a misdemeanor
bobby says
thank you anonymous
Anonymous says
getting the police involved now is the only way this kid will get help. He’s been to Halifax and Beach House. In 3 years he can move out and take as many 90 minutes showers as he pleases- paying his own water bill
orphan says
Not knowing the particulars of this incident, I’ll withhold comment on this particular child. However! There are places where children prone to this type of behavior can be helped.
While Rodeheaver Boys’ Ranch in Palatka is an excellent example of an institution helping boys, I don’t believe that they take boys who have serious issues with the law. If the charges in this case were not as serious as they are proposed at the moment, maybe something could be worked out there?
Also, there are the Florida Sheriffs Ranch facilities that deal with the more aggressive boys and girls and yet keep them out of the mainstream criminal system.
Arrest and jail isn’t always the answer.
I hope that one of the commenters above realizes that there is apparently some fright/fear connected with this situation and that it just cannot be overlooked. There is a time to say: “Enough”.
Hugs. I hope this ends well.
NortonSmitty says
I guess the above is me.
I understand the fright/fear concept. I spent a couple hours in a jail cell when I was 14, waiting for my old man to come pick me up for soaping windows on Halloween. I begged them to just let me stay in the cell for the rest of my life instead of turning me over to my Dad. The refused my request for mercy.
But this is different. If this kid is arrested, he will have an unremovable Felony arrest on his record that will affect his prospects the rest of his life. This is the result of both the computer records and Fascist Police state government we live with today.
orphan says
@ NortonSmitty
Yes, you were the above. And I totally understand what you are saying about the current situation in our once great and glorious country. But my point is that there are other avenues in which to deal with unruly or delinquent children!
There doesn’t have to be a ‘record’ if intelligence rules the day.
As far as ‘records’ go-we as citizens of this country have lost the race. Done!
Sgt. Slaughter says
Oh..we should hug him and tell him were sorry !!! WTF….Find his azz, throw him into the “CELL” for 30 days. Dry cornflakes and boloney sandwich..that’s it…He will learn to respect or next time give him 365 days.
Annie Welcome says
Check into the parents … Sounds like they antagonize the child … His issues could very well be cause by them …. Give the kid a chance … If more adults listen to kids maybe there wouldn’t be so many troubled kids
pam white says
I agree. Finally a comment from someone who has some common sense. Thank you, Annie.
Chuck says
How is this news? It’s a family issue and publishing this stuff isn’t helpful to anyone involved.
THE VOICE OF REASON says
Chuck:
It’s news because the step-father filed charges instead of handling a 15-year-old like a real man would.
pam white says
And kudos to you, too, Chuck. I agree with you. I have found in my experiences that many step-fathers have a problem with another man’s children, mostly the males.
amother says
It doesn’t help to have a police record, but have you ever had to live with a child that has serious issues? I had a son that had a lot of problems, despite having above-above average IQ. I begged every agency for help and DCF used to visit and they wished they knew of a place that would help him. Took all kinds of parenting classes and was being very patient and trying to help child in every way I could; to no avail. Sometimes you have to press charges/tough love to get to a place where you can get help. My son ended up at FL United Methodist home for a little less than two years and they decided they couldn’t keep him there any longer as he had trouble remaining in school during the days due to behavior; and their program wasn’t designed to watch them during school hours. I feel they gave up on him because they couldn’t figure out why he was so troubled…..only thing they arrived at was that he was very upset that his father was not participating in his life very well. **Other programs would not accept my son and I must have contacted a little less than 100 places, due to the fact that he had a mental diagnosis. So, it is very hard & a parent’s heart break to have a child that is experiencing life in this way. It’s hard because at times they do consider harming you. SO SEE THE SAD part about all of this is that sometimes programs will not accept any child that may have mental/psychiatric issues. My son ended up at Tenbrook Psychiatric in JAX after many situations 1) asking kids if they knew someone to hire to kill me- his mom, which is a psychiatric Hospital and they did not seem able to help him either. Finally his father got him and let him live with him. He found some wonderful office staff at Mainland High School in Daytona and now, unfortunately his life ended wrapped around a tree in his vehicle shortly after 18th birthday. I was lucky that I did get to see him from 17-18 doing much better….turning into a fine young man; no meds and looking forward to life……much calmer with insight. Went from very stormy years to smooth sailing; don’t know if he grew out of it or finally realized the value of advice given to him when we thought he wasn’t listening. I could not live with my son because he tormented me and seemed to enjoy it; though I tried to remain constant, understanding and guiding gently….I became highly sensitized to his abusive behavior; it was very unhealthy for myself and other child in home. You’d have to live it to understand.
chuck says
I dont think the police report and involvement in whatever florida has to offer troubled kids is the problem. i worked at a facility up north before moving here that was an excellent place for teenage boys to learn to chill out.
My problem is with this being published along with a picture of the kid. How embarrassing to have the story about him running the shower for 90 and listing the details of a relatively routine encounter between a kid and his parents.
parents should press charges if that’s what they want to do, but to put it out here like this is silly. Up north you cant even name a Juvenile offender let alone post his picture and the details of his situation for every one to see. This is not the way you get a kid to get on the right track.
FlaglerLive says
It is no longer just a family issue when the family calls on a considerable amount of public resources to address it. It is a public issue when the Sheriff’s Office issues advisories, including picture, name and description, to help locate the teen, with parental approval. It is certainly no longer just a family issue when violence is involved and charges are leveled. It would absolutely not be just a family issue if any harm were to come to the teen because of community indifference and or unawareness which, thankfully, with public eyes and the sheriff’s office’s involvement, is not the case. To call any of this silly is misplaced.
orphan says
You were simply too nice, FlaglerLive.
Nikia says
I hope the family receives the help that is needed soon enough.
pam white says
So do I. This is not a hopeless case. I wish them well.
MaryJo says
I hope someone steps in and starts big time counseling, removing the boy from the home if need be…to a safe place with kind people. Drug free. A time out for all. I don’t know they have that here in FC but it would be a big help in this situation, I would think. All the best to them…really.
pam white says
Very well said, Maryjo.
K says
I’m not sure the best place for this kid is with his mom and stepfather after reading the update.
Ecortes says
I agree with the last comment. I do not think that home is where he needs to be.
pam white says
I agree.
m&m says
Flagler Live you nailed it.
heather napier says
This is Dawson’s mom. I am letting everyone know that we had no phone at the time of these problems with my son.So that part is false nobody could call us.I never spoke to anybody named natasha and told her my son could stay there.He was reported missing.My son never tried to come home threw any of this.And one last thing we declined the beach house because he has already been there and ran off many of times it is not a lock down unit…so this is the real story so now flagler county you can talk about this…
Linda says
Based on past experiences with this family it is best if the child be removed from the home to a place he feels safe. He is retaliating because he is afraid and trying to show them that he isn’t afraid. This more than likely is the reason he is running away, to get away from the home problems and where he feels comfortable at. Again knowing the family I believe the mother would ignore the childs reach out to be accepted back into his home but as stated the mother yet again deserted her child. Other siblings younger than him are going through the same things. All a child needs is a HUG from his parent(s) and an I Love You to let them know you are there for them and always will be when there are good and bad things that happen in their lives. A child acts out what he/she has seen. 25 years ago I did the same with the disrespect to both my parents and hitting them. I grew up in a famy where my parents physically faught due to cheating and was the one child out of my brother & sister that would physically try breaking it up. People change when they are loved.
COOP41179 says
I think if people knew the whole truth about whats really going on with this kid. Your alls views might just change. Hes a good kids and is just a little lost. And where does our youth really turn to when no one will help them. And that just saddens me to say. And i just dont see how u run away when ure still at the place where ure parents dropped u off. Any ways. I hope he gets the help he needs with all this before its to late.
D. W. says
Seems to me the kid isn’t the only one who is “troubled”. The parents are doing a crappy job. Could be why the kid is what everyone is calling..”troubled”.
ryan says
Sounds to me like there is a greater problem at home then we realize. I believe that the stepfather stirs things up and the mother takes the stepfather’s side. running away is not just an act to get attention but is done out of fear a lot of times. his mom needs to be a mom and find out what is wrong, and stop worrying about angering the stepfather or fear being alone. when you have children, you don’t automatically back the stepparent. You find out what is really going on.
ryan says
The stepfather should’ve never pressed charges just for shoving him. A battery charge is only appropriate when not instigated and when done with a baseball bat or a severe beating has occurred.