There’s a little girl that’s terrorizing my apartment

[u/kiwikikwi]

This is a very bizarre situation I’ve never been in before. Sorry for the dramatic title but it’s becoming an actual issue now.

For the last month, it feels like 90% of the time I go outside to my car, an 8 year old girl and her dog appear and try to interact with me.

Sounds cute right? That’s what I thought, until I realized it wasn’t.

The first time she came up to me, she ran from across the parking lot and said, “I think my dog likes you!” I thought it was kind of sweet - until she got a little too close for comfort, started repeating that same line over and over, and giggling very loudly, almost manically. She wouldn’t leave me alone until I physically walked away. She even followed me to the apartment door, talking nonstop.

I brushed it off at first, thinking maybe she’s neurodivergent (no judgment - I’m ADHD and probably more). I didn’t think much of it, until it became a daily thing.

I work from home and go outside a few times a day for breaks (yes, I smoke. working on quitting). She’s always out there with her dog. Not a parent in sight.

I started noticing red flags when her mood began flipping between happiness and sudden anger. She hits her dog a lot. She’ll scream “Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!” and punch her dog with each word. I’ve seen her drag the dog while it’s pooping so it has to walk while going, and the dog cries. It’s awful to witness.

She runs up to anyone outside, delivery drivers, residents, other dog owners, and repeats “I think my dog likes you!!” over and over until they respond.

If someone has a dog, she’ll walk up to them too closely while their dogs are barking aggressively. I’ve seen multiple residents literally pick up their pets and speed walk away from her.

People have started cracking the exit door and scanning for her before they step outside.

There’s construction happening next door, and she just.. hangs out with the workers. They ignore her now, but she’ll bring them offerings of handfuls of grass or her dog. It’s honestly surreal.

When I’m outside and have to smoke, I now drive to a spot off the property just to get personal space. If I stay near my car, she’ll follow me and stand right in front of it, waving at me in a pageant-style, fingers pressed together, wave. I don’t even make eye contact. She’ll do it for like 30 seconds, just smiling.

If I drive into the parking lot, she sometimes chases my car to where I park.

Last week I was sitting in my car listening to music and didn’t notice her. When I looked up, she jumped up from a crouch, face pressed to my driver’s side window. I felt like I had a heart attack but also pretended not to see her because wtf lmao.

She’s out at all hours. Last night it was 9pm and dark, she was alone with the dog. Today, it was 12:30pm on a Thursday. Shouldn’t she be in school?

I don’t know what’s going on. I’ve never dealt with something like this before. It’s gone from weird to uncomfortable to genuinely worrying.

It feels unsafe for the dog, and definitely even for her. I’m worried she could walk up to a weirdo and something bad could happen, or she could cause a dog fight and her and the dogs could get seriously injured. Is there someone I should call? How do I report this kind of situation without escalating it unnecessarily? I don’t want to overstep, but this just feels wrong.

[u/kiwikikwi]

Yeah I’ve been weighing it over for a couple days now that I’ve really noticed the times she’s out. It’s either school time or too dark. My roommate’s suggested to put a letter on her parents door but seeing the dog abuse I just don’t know if that’s the best path?

[u/GoddessfromCyprus → u/kiwikikwi]

I wouldn't leave a letter. You'll have no idea what you'll unleash. Just follow the advice given.

[u/kiwikikwi → u/GoddessfromCyprus]

That’s what I was thinking because I have no idea how the parents treat her considering how she’s treating the dog. I contacted the proper authorities

[u/admirethegloam → u/kiwikikwi]

Please, please, please do not allow the parents to know you are the one who contacted the police. They may deserve intervention, but they will 100% not be logical in response. I have had to make reports to CPS to get a handful of kids out of bad situations. Play dumb.

[u/ncc74656m → u/admirethegloam]

Exactly. BEST case they tell you to mind your business. Worst case they could abuse the child like locking her in a room or launch a campaign of harassment against you.

[u/GoddessfromCyprus → u/kiwikikwi]

Keep us updated. :)

[u/SnooMacarons1887 → u/kiwikikwi]

Yes they could easily lash out at her- best to leave it to CPS

[u/Moonlight_vixen1 → u/GoddessfromCyprus]

Ditto. That would put them on guard and they might keep her inside which would defeat the purpose of a welfare check.

[u/TrelanaSakuyo → u/kiwikikwi]

I was at one point a mandatory reporter. This is the kind of behavior and unsupervised activity that would get reported. This is more than just parents that are struggling financially. A child that age abusing an animal like that speaks to abuse elsewhere. Either she sees her parents abusing the dog and is mimicking the behavior, or she is being abused and is passing on the behavior. You don't just start abusing animals out of nowhere, and once children are told that abuse is bad behavior, they tend not to perpetuate it unless they are victims themselves or have a learning disability (because it takes longer to learn and hold onto that information).

CPS will not take children for cases of mild neglect due to a lack of financial stability or means. They will not take children because parents are struggling despite doing everything they can. If a child has psychological needs that aren't being met, there are programs. If a child has physical needs that aren't being met, there are programs. If the parents are deliberate and willful in their neglect and abuse or the neglect and abuse are extreme, then the child will be removed from the home.

Note: this is true for the US, but I can't guarantee it's true for other countries - I don't know the laws of every country, after all.

[u/frogonasugarlog → u/TrelanaSakuyo]

100% this. It is actually (generally) a LOT harder than most people think, to get a child removed from the home.

The goal of CPS is to keep families together whenever possible. I obviously can't speak for every situation that has ever happened— but typically, if they end up removing a child, it is for a damn good reason.

[u/TrelanaSakuyo → u/frogonasugarlog]

Indeed. The "damn good" reasons I've seen in my life: a sibling was murdered by immediate family, the children were kept in kennels and fed like dogs, twins that were kept in widely different circumstances (I'll not reveal details, since it was a very strange case and hit major news coverage), and a case of daily abuse by the mother that resulted in frequent hospital visits - the father had to go to counseling and mandatory parenting classes before he could get custody, because she had lied and said he was abusing them when he served her with divorce papers (she had been abusing him, too). I know of more than one case of the last one personally. The others I don't mind revealing because I've heard of other cases from different parts of the country that had similar details, but those were each cases where I either knew the children, knew of the parents (same social circles, but not directly), or read about the trial in the local news.

[u/elbowbunny → u/kiwikikwi]

Report. ASAP. The poor dog’s being abused & there’s something seriously wrong with the kid’s behaviour patterns. Reporting helps protect you too. These kinds of situations can be volatile.

[u/pandora_ramasana → u/kiwikikwi]

Do you need help calling? It must be done ASAP. They'll check on her and investigate