Porch Pirate Pilfering Niagara Falls Neighborhoods

Niagara Falls Police responded to the 1700 block of Ashland Avenue around 11pm on April 23rd after reports of a larceny.

Upon arrival, officers spoke to the complainant who stated his $250 beanbag chair was stolen off of his porch the prior day. In fact, he told police this was the third such time that it has occurred since August of 2024.

The complainant further told police that he reports each incident to The Action 716 Facebook group.

Regarding this most recent incident, the complainant wrote on Facebook:

Porch Pirate Hit in Niagara Falls NY, - BIG JOE Stolen On 4/20/25 Sunday Morning @ 5.55AM A women (Martha) dressed in Pink top and Green Jogger Bottom/Lower, With Red Shoes, Blue Shoulder Bag, Hair Color Burgundy Dye was Caught on Camera Stealing Our BigJoe Cushion Seater. Walking North Towards 17th & Pierce/ Whitney or LaSale Ave .Then Ran into Alley between LaSale & Whitney Ave ..REWARD for Informers.

Commenters on Facebook said that this woman is “Martha” who often wears a Ninja Turtle mask.

Officers advised the complainant to stop leaving his valuables on the porch.

No further information is available at this time.

“I hope you get raped.”

Her claim was a cruel and malicious lie. The school never did an investigation, questioned neutral witnesses or considered my son's character and history. No, they took her side and suspended him based solely on the testimony of her friends, individuals who had every reason to back up her false claim.

I went to the school and pleaded with them to look into it further, to consider that my son would never say something so awful, but they refused. The decision had been made and damage done.

Relentless Harassment and a School that Didn’t Care

That one false accusation became fuel for the fire. My son became a target. He was bullied, harassed, and tormented for an entire year. He wasn’t just mocked but physically attacked. There were times when multiple students ganged up on him.

They didn’t just torment him at school, they also followed him home.

Four of his bullies came all the way to our backyard chasing him. If we didn't have a gate, they might have caught him. They filmed themselves threatening him and shared it on Snapchat, turning their cruelty into entertainment.

I called the school over and over again. I met with teachers, counselors, the principal. I begged for them to do something —to protect my son— but they wouldn't.

Their response?

“Well, it happened off school grounds, so there’s nothing we can do.”

Punished for Protecting My Sons

As my son’s mental health worsened and the bullying continued with no intervention, I made the only choice a mother could; I stopped forcing him to go to school. I refused to send him into a place where he was being tormented daily.

The school then started calling about why he was starting to miss so many days of school. Their calls became more threatening about involving Child Protective Services if he did not show up.

I contacted the school in tears several times. I was hopeful that the school would be understanding, but they were not. I told them about his declining mental health and how he has struggling with depression. I even disclosed to them how he had started self-harming.

Their response?

“He needs to show up. We’ll be extra aware of the situation.”

Extra awareness. That’s all they could offer.

Did they ask how they could help? Did they take accountability for failing to protect him? No.

No action. No protection. Just meaningless words while my son suffered.

Instead, they called Child Protective Services on me, reporting me for educational neglect.

On three separate occasions they tried to punish me for keeping my son safe. Three separate times I had to endure investigations with strangers coming into my home, questioning my parenting, and making me feel like a criminal.

Each time CPS found no wrongdoing and sent a letter clearing me.

And yet, the school continued their harassment. They sent school officers to my home five different times to discuss truancy. They had officials come by, leaving notes demanding I contact them about his absences.

Absences caused by their own failure to act.

Ironically, it was a CPS worker—not the school—who actually helped get my son enrolled in the Apex online learning program. The same program the school never followed up on when I initially requested it.

The Toll on My Children

I look at my sons now and see the scars this experience has left. Not just the physical ones—the bruises and marks from being grabbed by the throat—but the emotional ones. The anxiety, fear, and betrayal from a system that should have protected them.

North Tonawanda High School failed my sons. It failed to protect them. It failed to listen. It failed to take action, and when I tried to advocate for them, the school attacked me.

No other child should have to endure what my sons went through. No other parent should have to fight just to keep their child safe.

If you would like to share your own experience with North Tonawanda Schools and any of the issues raised throughout this article, please email us at niagaraaction@gmail.com. 

Bullied, Beaten and Betrayed by Administration: North Tonawanda Schools Part 12