Our garage door opener was taken off our stroller at a park in Forsyth. My 4 year old saw the boy do it but didn't think to tell me until we left. If anybodys kids come home with it please let me know. I'm not angry, kids will be kids, would just like it back (: 

Okay, I WASN'T mad, until my garage door miraculously opened while I was playing with my children in the front room, and when I walked outside a boy from the park was riding past on his bike. I asked if he had my garage door opener, and of course he didn't. So I hopped in my car and found him two streets over with his friends (who sold you out, sorry sonny) and he kept vehemently denying he had it. So I drove home and continued playing with my children in the front room, when what do you know, "I didn't take it" rides up on his bike again and tries to put my garage door opener in my mailbox and leave.
I understand, if I was 8 and found a garage door opener I would TOTALLY consider riding around on my bike and trying to open doors. But once one opened I'd be like "hey, I found this, is it yours?" not "No, I didn't just perform magic." 

You never know, some 8 year old's might not be doing it for "fun". He might have thought about not giving it back so he could "explore your home". Or worse yet, help himself to your things. Kids these days grow up fast (and not in a good way). You should have knocked on his door and told his mom and dad what he did. As a mom I never leave my kids unattended but if they had done something like this I would want to know so I could nip it in the bud. Glad you got it back and you saw who took it. 

Yay for happy endings... 

You never know, some 8 year old's might not be doing it for "fun". He might have thought about not giving it back so he could "explore your home". Or worse yet, help himself to your things. Kids these days grow up fast (and not in a good way). You should have knocked on his door and told his mom and dad what he did. As a mom I never leave my kids unattended but if they had done something like this I would want to know so I could nip it in the bud. Glad you got it back and you saw who took it.

I agree with every word.

I don't know if things have changed, but theft was rampant on Fort Riley when we were stationed there. If he was savvy enough to lie about having it, it may not have been because he was too scared to admit it; it could have been because he wanted to pay a visit later and steal.

I'd have tanned our daughter's butt if she stole something, then I'd have driven around myself clicking the opener until we found the house, and I'd have made her march up to that door, return it, and apologize. Then I'd apologize for her, too.

Did he just throw it in and ride away? Did you say anything to him? 

Did he just throw it in and ride away? Did you say anything to him? 

I was on the phone with a friend back home telling her about this nonsense when I saw him ride up to my mailbox, so I walked outside and pretended I was talking to the MPs and said something along the lines of "Oh, Officer, can you hold on one second? The Jordan boy I told you about is here with my garage door opener right now so maybe I don't need you to send a cop out." The boy said his friends made fun of him for stealing even though he didn't, so he went back to the park and found it in the grass, continuing to lie to my face (My garage door opener hardly works in my driveway, let alone half a mile away at the park). He had obviously been crying - guilt will do that to you.
When I had driven around and found him playing outside it was at a house that wasn't his and the other kids he was playing with went inside to get their mom who stared me down like I was being creepy talking to children. No one would tell me where the boy lived or where his parents were.
Unfortunately these are all the same children I've seen outside alone the last two years and this is the first time I've ever seen a parent. They don't want to deal with them so they send them outside and treat it like Vegas. 

Oh, and when I called the neighborhood office emergency maintenance number to have someone let me in my house (the garage door opener was how we locked up) they put in an order for a new opener. I called back the next day during normal hours to cancel that order and they thought the story was "cute" and couldn't understand why I was upset. 

Not cute! I hate when people send the kids outside without supervision. These are the same people who wonder what went wrong when the kid turns in to a hoodlum. Or the first to cry fowl if something happens to the kid. I am with TeeC I would tan some butt, then make them fess up to the home owner. Shame is a big incentive to never do it again.