Wow, this is just ridiculous. If the parents won't make the kid stay in their yard or go to a park, what's so wrong with the lady taking matters into her own hands? It's not like she's hurting the kid; she's just teaching him/her a lesson. That sort of thing was commonplace when I grew up, and I was born in the 80s. Elderly neighbors would steal the ball for a few days until the kid came over to deliver a proper apology, at which time the ball would be returned.
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