Bay County mom says parole system failed her drug-addicted son facing armed robbery charge

BAY CITY, MI As her drug-addicted son sits in jail on a charge of armed robbery, just months after being paroled, a Bay County mother wonders if state probation officials could have done more to halt his downward spiral.

Bay City police allege Victor J. Schalk, 37, on the early morning of Monday, April 8, held up the 7-Eleven at 801 N. Henry St. The stores clerk told police the robber had a hand in his pocket and looked to be pointing a gun at him as he demanded cash.

Schalk is being held without bond at the Bay County Jail. He is scheduled for a preliminary examination on Thursday, May 2, in Bay County District Court.

Schalks mother, Jaki Herman, said her son is addicted to crack cocaine, and that dependence has led him to commit a series of crimes.

She feels the Michigan Department of Corrections system for releasing and monitoring parolees failed to adequately address her sons dependency issues.

But a Michigan Department of Corrections official says parole officers took extra steps to help Schalk and his case was properly managed.

Schalk himself could not be reached for comment, since Bay County Jail policy does not allow media interviews with inmates. His attorney also declined comment.

For her part, though, Herman says she feels let down by the state, but admits her own efforts to clean up her son have been in vain.

You know what its like to get your kid whos over 18 help? You cant," Herman said. "I tried talking to him, I tried so hard to get him help. I called everybody that I could call to try to get him help.

Herman said her son, whom she refers to as VJ, started on a path of substance abuse in his late teens, dabbling with alcohol and marijuana. A popular student and athlete at Bay City Central High School, Schalk ended up dropping out of classes, though he later received an equivalency diploma, his mother said.

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Bay County mom says parole system failed her drug-addicted son facing armed robbery charge