Mom on Trial - Leaves child in Car for minutes

[ChrisnSteph]

This is ridiculous. Total abuse of power, and lacking all common sense.

 

[dgr1973]

The funny thing is that I live in the Chicagoland area and I never heard this story.

 

[slk537]

Just from reading the story, it seems like leaving children alone is a hot button for the officer and she overreacted to the mom. Now the authorities are forced to see it through.

I wonder if the police chief is furious it got this far?

 

[DisneyMomOK]

Was this a "real" police officer who started this mess? I read another report and it sounded as if it was a WalMart security person (maybe an off-duty cop?) who started this train wreck. If so, I hope Karma comes into play.

Get mad at her for parking in a loading zone, but to accuse her of child endangerment is stupid.

 

[Disney Doll]

If the article you posted is the whole story, not that I am calling you a liar, but sometimes the whole story doesn't get into the paper on the first shot, if you know what I mean, then I think the police were a bit over-zealous.

 

[kribit]

If the article you posted is the whole story, not that I am calling you a liar, but sometimes the whole story doesn't get into the paper on the first shot, if you know what I mean, then I think the police were a bit over-zealous.

I actually cut and paste the entire article from Fox news. Perhaps there is a side story, but that is all that was written in this one.

 

[BratTink]

That's ridiculous, the police are definitely overstepping their bounds. If she had gone into the store, or had even had the van out of her sight, I would have agreed with the charges, but the mother could still see the car. If anything had happened, she could have easily sprinted over there. If your kids are playing outside at home, do they have to within 10 yards of you?

It was sleeting, very cold out and the car was parking illegally in a loading zone behind someone loading a christmas tree. What if the car got hit by another vehicle skiding out of control on the sleet? I don't have children, but I babysit a lot. Maybe I'm more protective and crazy because they are not my children and I do worry about something happening to them, but I think if you walk away from your car you should take your kids out of the car. I know its inconvenient, but I think its horrible to leave your kids alone in the car regardless of what you're doing or how long it takes. I'm also amazed about a PP who says they leave their kids in the car to take their other child INSIDE daycare. Maybe it is more of a small town vs. big city thing, but I would never do that here.

 

[poohandwendy]

What if the car got hit by another vehicle skiding out of control on the sleet?

Well, the child would be safer secured in a carseat, in a car, than in their mothers arms when it comes to the hypothetical 'what if a car skidded out of control in the parking lot' scenario.

 

[tinatark]

In TN, we had an amber alert this week - here's the story from the local news - this mom thought her baby was fine, since she was "just inside" and her car was in her mother's driveway

Elijah has been safely located and is being currently transported to the hospital as a precaution. The vehicle was located on the side of the road with the child still strapped into his car seat.

More details soon.

KNOXVILLE (WVLT) – A statewide Amber Alert has been issued out Lewisburg in south-middle Tennessee.

According to the Lewisburg Police Department, six month old Elijah Pierce was in his mother’s car alone when it was stolen from in front of his grandmother’s house.

Authorities are on the lookout for the car, a red 2004 Chevy Cavalier, with four doors and a Bedford County license plate reading 842SNS.

Elijah is described as a white male, 24 inches in length and weighing 18 lbs.

He has blond hair, brown eyes and was last seen wearing a blue snow suit with teddy bear ears.

If you have seen Elijah or the vehicle, please contact the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND, or the Lewisburg Police Department at 931-359-4044

 

[NYBlue1]

From what I'm getting here the original person that found the child was a safety officer? Is that a security guard at the store? Once the police are called by a third party they are required to react in some way shape or form.

I honestly can see this woman being brought into the station for further investigation , arrested? If these are the facts , thats a little rough in my opinion before an officer can arrest anybody they usually have to have aproval of the on duty supervisor as well.

One thing to keep in mind , before anybody is charged and brought to the point of court, it has to be OKed by the counties District attorneys office that they are going to prosecute the case. The police, or the police chief even dont make this decision.

I'm going to go with the fact something else is in play here we are not privy to. Many cooks thow something in the pot before a person is brought to trial and formally charged with a crime. Lets not lay this all on the officers , its not there job to decide who will and who will not be prosecuted.

 

[disney kid at heart]

That is absurd them charging her. I know laws are different in every county, becausein Clermont county a assist principle left her 2 yr old child in 90 degree heat all day and that poor child died a horrible death and she wasn't charged with ANYTHING. She said she forgot, but she went to the car several times to get donuts out of car. Now those are the ones that should be charged, not this incident for a couple of minutes.

 

[KariC]

That is absurd them charging her. I know laws are different in every county, becausein Clermont county a assist principle left her 2 yr old child in 90 degree heat all day and that poor child died a horrible death and she wasn't charged with ANYTHING. She said she forgot, but she went to the car several times to get donuts out of car. Now those are the ones that should be charged, not this incident for a couple of minutes.

As soon as I heard about the situation in indiana, I thought about the sleeby case, also. She had a HABIT of leaving her 2 year old in the car, and on one of the hottest days of the year, she does it again? THAT is a case that should be prosecuted!

 

[JVL1018]

There is a HUGE difference between leaving a child in a locked car when you are a few feet/yards away and leaving your child to go shopping..or leaving your child in an unlocked running car.

What is the difference between me leaving my child in the locked, not running car while I am 10 feet away and me being with my kids on the playground sitting on a bench watching them run around up to 20-30 feet away from me?

I could be arrested for leaving my child in the car and walking 10 feet away, but if I took the child out of the car, told him to wait for me next to it and walked the same 10 feet away, no laws would be broken.

That makes no sense to me.

Every single instance where I have heard of children being stolen along with the car, the keys have been left in the car.
Allk stories of children dying have been when they have been left in a car for a longer period of time than 5 minutes.
People need to use common sense.

 

[MichelleVW]

There are a million "what if" scenarios that people will come up to say that it was dangerous to leave that sleeping child in the car for a few minutes, but I don't see anything wrong with it. She was in plain sight, the car was locked and the child was strapped in a car seat.

I was a single mom and used to put my kids in their crib alone when I went to take a shower....someone COULD have snuck in my unlocked house and taken them and I would have never known....

this case is absurd...

 

[disney kid at heart]

As soon as I heard about the situation in indiana, I thought about the sleeby case, also. She had a HABIT of leaving her 2 year old in the car, and on one of the hottest days of the year, she does it again? THAT is a case that should be prosecuted!

I know but that D.A. said he will not prosecute her and now she's on paid leave of absence. I heard a lot of Lakota parents didn't feel comfortable with their children being there at the school. That whole thing really had all of us upset with the prosecutor. Bill Cunnungham show told people to make signs saying it was ok to kill kids in Clermont County. That was such a horrible example of mis justice by letting her free.

 

[KatheeME]

NO, she is NOT a great parent, she is a neglectful one. I don't care if her child was sleeping, bad weather outside, you don't abandon your child, even for a moment. What was she thinking? She wasn't! That child could have been taken, a car hit that car. This makes me furious.
Kathee

 

[shelly3girls]

From what I'm getting here the original person that found the child was a safety officer? Is that a security guard at the store? Once the police are called by a third party they are required to react in some way shape or form.

One thing to keep in mind , before anybody is charged and brought to the point of court, it has to be OKed by the counties District attorneys office that they are going to prosecute the case. The police, or the police chief even dont make this decision.

I'm going to go with the fact something else is in play here we are not privy to. Many cooks thow something in the pot before a person is brought to trial and formally charged with a crime. Lets not lay this all on the officers , its not there job to decide who will and who will not be prosecuted.

Don't forget that she had to be indicted by a grand jury for this even to go to trial.

 

[KariC]

I know but that D.A. said he will not prosecute her and now she's on paid leave of absence. I heard a lot of Lakota parents didn't feel comfortable with their children being there at the school. That whole thing really had all of us upset with the prosecutor. Bill Cunnungham show told people to make signs saying it was ok to kill kids in Clermont County. That was such a horrible example of mis justice by letting her free.

Here's a former thread about that case: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1571629

As an update, Slaby is no longer employed by Glen Este, in Clermont County, she has applied for disability. I've "heard" that they are requesting changes to make leaving a child unattended in a vehicle a crime. I have NO idea what this request "means"....whether it's for a minute or 8 hours....and if death must occur, etc. I believe the prosecutor didn't file charges because she didn't intentionally leave her in the car, but it is still awful, and many in Ohio felt that she should've been charged, prosecuted.

 

[chris1gill]

That's insane. People leave their children in cars to die and they don't go to jail. I do have to say I'm not sure she could be convicted of abandonment or whatever, if the car was in sight. Are we not allowed to leave our children in the car while we pump gas? Or leave them in the car while we run back into the house to get something?

Actually you are not supposed to leave your child in the car while you go to pay for the gas... even if you lock the car and have it in your site.... totally ridiculous if you've alarmed your car, locked it, have it in your site hard to fathom the police would go this far.

 

[nuke]

Just heard on the news they are dropping the charges. Now the family may sue the city of Crestwood.