Omaha teen shooter 'had problems' | |||
Debora Maruca Kovac, said he was withdrawn - "like a lost pound puppy that nobody wanted". She said Hawkins, 19, was not on any medication for mental illness but was treated for depression in the past. He had also recently broken up with his girlfriend, and then lost his job. The Omaha World Herald newspaper reported that he had been arrested on Friday for being a minor in possession of alcohol. The newspaper also said he was sent to jail for seven days in 2005 on charges of disorderly conduct. 'Drinking problem' Hawkins had been living with the Maruca Kovac family for about a year-and-a-half after befriending her sons. It is not clear why he left home, although it is understood that his mother lived nearby. While he had his troubles, Debora Maruca Kovac said the teenager was gentle and loved animals.
"I felt sorry for him. I let him stay, and we tried to get him on his feet," she told CNN. She said he earned a high-school equivalency degree after dropping out of Papillion La Vista High School, and got a driver's license after moving in with them. He started working at a McDonald's restaurant near their home about five months ago. She said he liked to listen to music and play video games - "normal teenage stuff" - but he had a drinking problem and would occasionally smoke marijuana in his bedroom. "He was a very helpful young man, but he was quiet," she said. "He didn't cause a lot of trouble. He tried to help out all the time. He was very thankful for everything. He wasn't a violent person at all." |
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