| Kathleen Edward and her aunt |
Trenton — A woman apologized Friday after being overwhelmed by the escalation of a long simmering neighborhood feud that spread to the Internet after she posted pictures of a terminally ill 7-year-old girl’s face above a set of crossed bones and a picture of the girl’s dead mother in the arms of the grim reaper.
“What I did was ignorant and wrong and I would walk right across this street now and apologize, if it weren’t for the PPO (personal protection order issued against her earlier by a court),” said Jennifer Petkov, 33. “I’m not proud of myself because this went from a neighborhood dispute to a huge thing.”
Kathleen Edward is the final stages of Huntington’s disease. Her mother, Laura, died last year from the same wasting disorder at 24.
Neighbors and Trenton Police say the feud between the Petkovs and several neighbors has raged for years, with verbal jabs and pranks, resulting in a Facebook site that identifies Jennifer Petkov as the “Devil of Detroit Street.” Neighbors said Friday the Petkovs laughed and taunted Laura Edward and the girl.
Petkov’s husband, Scott, 30, explained Friday that his wife’s “brutal honesty” has caused his family to “not get along with a lot of people.”
Scott Petkov said the fallout of the Sept. 30 photo postings on a Facebook page his wife created in retaliation resulted Friday in his suspension with pay from his job as a forklift repairman in Warren. He said his employer is considering firing him. The eldest of the Petkovs’ four children was sent home from school after getting into an argument with a classmate who confronted him about the Internet photos, said the couple.
“My husband is a good person and I hope he doesn’t lose his job. I hope our family doesn’t lose his job. I’m the bad person,” Jennifer Petkov said Friday. “I feel horrible for what I’ve said and done. That little girl shouldn’t have had to lose her mom like that and she shouldn’t have to lose her life either. I just hope she didn’t see those pictures.”
Petkov’s page has been removed from Facebook.
Maria Miller, spokeswoman for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, said, “We have contacted the Trenton Police Department to look into the allegations.”
Trenton Deputy Police Chief James Nardone said the problems between the two families have been ongoing. “We’re aware of the situation and are looking into it,” he said.
The dying girl’s father, Robert Edward, said he has one request of the Petkov family: “Just leave us alone; that’s all we want. Don’t make any more comments about our daughter.”
Edward, 26, said the ordeal has been tough.
“You have to understand how angry we are,” he said. “The police told us they were shocked that we haven’t gone over there and beat the hell out of her. But there’s more important things to deal with, like our daughter. She’s hanging in there. We have hospice at our home every week, and that’s a lot to deal with on its own.”
Edward said after his ex-wife died last year, the Petkovs drove their truck, which bears the message “Death Machine” and has a coffin attached to it, down the street and honked the horn.
Kathleen’s stepmother, Gabrielle Edward, said the feud started two years ago.
“Kathleen’s grandmother had a birthday party, and Jennifer sent a message asking if her kids could come over to play,” Edward said. “(Kathleen’s grandmother) apparently didn’t respond quickly enough; that’s where it all started.”
The Petkovs said Friday that the pickup was decorated in a macabre way because they are fans of the “Sons of Anarchy” cable television show. Scott Petkov said Friday that he removed the coffin, which had served as a tool box, from the back of the truck. The family also removed Halloween decorations from their home Friday.
Gabrielle Edward, 19, said she has tried to shield her stepdaughter from the feud.
“She’s seen some of this stuff, but we’re doing our best to try and keep her away from it,” she said. “When the truck would pull up, we’d immediately take her inside to play.”
Kathleen, a third-grader, is having a tough time with her illness, her stepmother said. “She’s having seizures,” she said. “It’s hard enough to deal with without all this other stuff. I’ll tell you what: I’m taking this a lot better than my husband is.”
Michelle Yerigian, 42, a longtime friend of the family, said she alerted the media about Petkov’s alleged taunts.
“I don’t understand how people could spew such hatred,” Yerigan said. “They would pull up in the truck (with the coffin attached), rev up the engine, and say to Kathleen, ‘I can’t wait until you die.’ When I saw what she posted on Facebook, I almost threw up. I’m totally dumbfounded.”
At least three Facebook pages supporting the girl have been started. Yerigian said she and Kathleen’s family have been contacted by dozens of people.
“We’ve heard from people from the UK, Germany, Minnesota — it’s incredible,” she said.
Yerigian has organized a rally to support Kathleen from 3-8:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 23.
“This isn’t about trying to get revenge,” Yerigian said. “We’re telling people not to do anything stupid.”
dguthrie@detnews.com
(313) 222-2548
From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20101009/METRO01/10090373/1410/METRO01/Trenton-woman-apologizes-for-Facebook-taunts#ixzz1242HrBh8
No comments:
Post a Comment