Terrorized by a roving youth gang, two families in a north Red Deer mobile home park are moving.

The families, including a single mother with a two-year-old child, said on Wednesday that they are fed up with living in fear for their lives and property.

“We don’t dare go to sleep at night because these little monsters might do something.

“We only sleep in the morning,” said a distraught Daniel Kroshewsky, who lives with his wife Linda in the Northwood Heritage Estates park.

Kristi Murphy, who lives next door, said she is selling her home and moving to Leduc for fear her child could be hurt by a gang of 15 to 20 children and young teens who plague the area.

“It’s a nightmare,” said Linda.

“It’s like a Star Trek episode where the children have taken over the planet,” she said, sitting in her kitchen cuddling a small dog that is never let out alone.

Nearby on the table is a 30-cm long screwdriver she uses for protection while a pitchfork stands by at the door should the kids break in.

Damage has been limited to Murphy having a front porch light shot out with a BB gun and bottles thrown at her windows while the Kroshewsky home has had rocks thrown at it several times.

The latest incidents were Tuesday around 9 p.m. and Wednesday around 7 p.m. when RCMP were called.

“Every time the police come, the little brats take off. Last night, they were taunting the officer,” Daniel said.

The youths were throwing objects and taunting them again Wednesday.

Linda said their dog isn’t let out alone for fear it could end up dead.

“We’ve heard there’s been about 10 animals killed by these kids,” Linda said.

Northwood owners Landsdowne Equity of Calgary is working with police to curb the problem, said Landsdowne vice-president Kayihan Kadir.

He said some of the alleged gang members don’t live in Northwood.

“They come from around the perimeter of the park.

“We’ve been working with the RCMP and the gang unit there but much of this has only surfaced in the last few weeks,” Kadir said.

Const. Sabrina Grunow of city RCMP said police haven’t noted anything more than usual at Northwood.

“If people are noticing an increase, they should contact police so we can deal with it effectively,” Grunow said.

Linda said she’s heard the gang is called the Northwoods gang.

“I’ve been to our park office every day but they just tell us to call the police,” Linda said.

She also said the kids know there’s not much the police can do because many alleged gang members are less than 12 years of age.

Even those who are 13 to 15 and without a criminal record will rarely get punished by the courts, she said.

RCMP said last year there are several youth gangs in Red Deer with members as young as 10 and up to age 18 who engage mostly in petty crimes and intimidation.

Murphy said she noticed the youths loitering around at night when she moved into her home about a year ago.

“I can’t let my child play outside because these kids hang right around my driveway sometimes and sort of dare you to hit them when you drive in.”

Murphy said she heard Red Deer was a great place to live when she moved in.

“The people are really nice in this city but these kids are awful. You have to wonder where their parents are and if they even care.”

Daniel, who is on a fixed pension from the province because of a brain injury suffered 12 years ago in a car crash, said he and his wife moved to the park two months ago.

“We put everything we had into moving here. We got some help from the government but we’re poor people and it’s really a struggle,” he said with a shaky voice.

He said the day they moved in four kids confronted him, the youngest being about eight.

“They had that gang bang mentality saying don’t look at us.”

Linda said about 2 a.m. a few nights ago a girl about 13 was having sex outside their home with two boys about the same age.

“It was disgusting. Where are their parents or guardians?

“At first I thought she was being raped and I’d call police until I heard what she was saying to them.”

Linda said at first she had the idea to help these children. She called child welfare, the city and police. But nothing seems to have worked, she said.

Daniel said in the last few weeks they were threatened with bodily harm by the kids.

A former math and science tutor at an Edmonton college, Daniel said they were assured the park was safe when they moved in.

“We’ve been told by little kids in the park that they’ve been beat up and robbed of their money and toys.”

Linda said she fears for her husband’s health because he has high blood pressure.

“We have to move or this place is going to kill us,” she said.

Contact Jack Wilson at jwilson@reddeeradvocate.com