<p>Now, the prosecuter eventually decided not to press charges in the case because he claimed that no crime had been committed. But now, new information has surfaced to the public (the police have had this info all along), saying that the mother had left her baby in the car multiple times before, yet the prosecutor is still not pressing charges over the recommendation of police officers to charge her with child endangerment.</p>
<p>Does this not make sense or is it just me? I mean, I’m just a kid, but I can’t imagine how any parent can go the entire workday without thinking about their kids even once, not to mention that the mother went back to the car a few times during the day and still didn’t notice her blistered child. But in any case, I think the police should have prosecuted…</p>
<p>I think she absolutely should be prosecuted. If this was a dog people would be screaming for justice.
I believe it is the devaluation of human life that leads to lack of prosecution in cases like these and cases of killing newborns.
I am the mother of four children born within six years. I have been stressed beyond belief but I would never “forget” my child in the car. Your child is your first responsibility, above your job. If you can’t care for your child it is criminal.</p>
<p>Wow - I remember a case where the parent had literally forgotten to drop the child at daycare on the way to work. I think this can happen - that a parent could have a serious lapse like this if there was tremendous stress and/or anxiety. But it sounds like she did not have daycare and had left her in the car before? Poor baby- what a painful death that must have been. I can’t imagine.</p>
<p>I completely agree, keymom. But you’d be surprised. Here in Cincinnati, there is about a 50/50 split on whether she should be prosecuted. Those in favor of prosecution think that the reason they are not prosecution may have to do with socioeconomics (Slaby is from an upper-middle class background). Those against prosecution says she’s suffered enough having lost her daughter. </p>
<p>But I still think she hasn’t suffered nearly as much as that 2 year old baby.</p>
<p>And Rileydog, the child usually goes to a babysitter’s house in the morning, and on the morning in question, the mom forgot to drop her off. The other incidents when the child was left in the car took place after daycare was over in the afternoon.</p>
<p>did other people see the baby in the car? if so, did they do anything? this is dreadful and she should be punished, as those that saw the baby and did not report it should be called to task as well</p>
<p>no one saw the child until they called police 8 hours later. the school year hadn’t began yet so everyone who was at the school were inside preparing for the first day.</p>
<p>keymom–this seems to be true much of the time. </p>
<p>In Chandler AZ, a policeman left his canine in his car for 12 hours resulting in the dog’s death. Chandler PD opted not to press charges due to extenuating circumstances (the officer’s son had been in a car accident that day).</p>
<p>The Phoenix metro community has been up in arms about the lack of charges and Sheriff Joe Arpaio has successfully led a reopening of the case, resulting in charges being filed.</p>
<p>I realize people make mistakes and forget–but I just don’t get how you can forget your child!! I know this mother is in unspeakable emotional agony, but charges should still be brought against her.</p>
<p>I once closed the back door of the car after putting my son in his carseat, not realizing that I’d put the keys on the seat next to him, with the result that I was locked out of the car. I’d been at the post office, so I ran back there and made them let me use their phone to call my husband. He came from work with his set of keys. While we waited for him, I was next to the car, watching my son the whole time. It was not a hot day, but if he’d appeared to be in any distress, I was ready to break into the car. I’m not sure how…but I would have found a way. I also can’t imagine how parents can forget their kids like this, but it happens every summer.</p>
<p>This lady should definitely be prosecuted. People are prosecuted all the time for leaving their kids in locked cars. Why not her? Not only was this an extreme case (8 hours and fatal) but apparently she’s done this repeatedly. I don’t buy the “I forgot” (to drop her off at daycare) excuse. Does she also ‘forget’ to take her kid out of the bath, forget to take her to daycare when no one’s home to care for her, forget to feed her, forget to change her diaper, the list goes on. </p>
<p>Parenting is a big responsibility and there can be serious ramifications if a parent is neglectful. It’s time moms and dads get that cell phone out of their ear, worry less about being in a rush, and pay attention to what they’re doing - especially when it involves the health of their kids.</p>
<p>And, I wouldn’t conclude that this lady is suffering more than the child. The child will never have a chance to feel any emotions again thanks to this lady’s neglect.</p>
<p>God in heaven, how horrible! Could it actually be true that this woman went out to her car at least once during that work day? If so, how could she NOT have seen her child in the back seat? I can’t wrap my mind around the hours of torture that poor child must have endured prior to dying. I can’t imagine being able to live with the knowledge that I killed my own child—and in such a manner! I’d like to hear the full story of how this tragedy came to pass before joining the chorus to prosecute this mother. But, I fully understand the impulse to want to see her suffer as much as her poor baby did.</p>
<p>* I once closed the back door of the car after putting my son in his carseat, not realizing that I’d put the keys on the seat next to him, with the result that I was locked out of the car. *
I did that- I was getting her out- from the van side door- and had set the diaper bag with my keys on the floor then realized i needed something from the front before I took her out of her seat. I shut the side door, not realizing the front was locked!</p>
<p>However- the locksmith came right away & didn’t charge as she was in the car</p>
<p>I think she not only should be prosecuted but I would also question if she had the ability to be responsible for a school full of children.</p>
<p>If she has done it before- it wasn’t an accident- but a case of someone used to gambling with her child’s well being & now she lost her chips.</p>
<p>I have forgotten many things- but I never forgot where my children were.</p>
<p>If it was a case of a mom leaving her kid in a Ford torino while she worked at Burger barn, you think the prosecutors would cut her any slack?</p>
<p>“I have forgotten many things- but I never forgot where my children were.”</p>
<p>Same here, Emeraldkity. It really is hard to imagine that she could have just forgotten to take the child to daycare. If true, her life must have literally been falling apart prior to this. In any case, her apparent inability to look out for the welfare of one two year old, certainly would seem to preclude the wisdom of trusting her with a whole school full of children!</p>
<p>“If it was a case of a mom leaving her kid in a Ford Torino while she worked at Burger barn, you think the prosecutors would cut her any slack?”</p>
<p>Not a chance. I’m still very keen to hear the complete story on this one though. Can you imagine being in her shoes about now, as the shock and denial wears off and the true horror of the situation sets in?</p>
<p>This is heartbreaking. While I can’t see how this happened, I feel like I should point out a few things:</p>
<p>There is more to this situation than originally reported. The numerous returns to the car where in less than a ten minute period to unload the back of the suv.</p>
<p>What is the saying? “Never criticize another until you have walked a mile in his moccasins?” Everyone makes mistakes, and sometimes they turn tragic.</p>
<p>Of course this was a tragic accident, but even so, there are many weird aspects of this that should be investigated. If the child was due at the babysitter’s, wouldn’t the babysitter have called to find out where the child was?
Okay…but the mother was scheduled to be in meetings until 3:15, as the school superintendent said, was “planning to stay for the day”. Clearly, that is longer than ‘the morning’. Had she notified the babysitter of her plans beforehand, or was she just going to dump the child off and return whenever? </p>
<p>If, as hotpiece said, the child was left in the car after day care was over on other occasions, the mother is lucky the baby didn’t perish before now. Anyone with an ounce of sense knows not to leave a child or pet in the car under those weather conditions, even in late afternoon. This just looks like a pattern of poor parenting.</p>
<p>Even if she is exonerated she should resign her job. Her presence will prove a huge distraction for the school, and is not fair to the kids. And what kind of message does that send to the children at her school – a parent does a spectacularly boneheaded thing that results in the death of her child, and life goes on as normal?</p>
<p>This family should become a case for Child Protective Services and visited on a regular basis to ensure the well-being of the young sibling, just like any less well-off family would be.</p>
<p>Oh, and what is wrong with those school officials with the media spin campaign saying what a “wonderful mother” she is? Discretion would serve the case of justice for a dead child better.</p>
<p>Whoah, sorry, I guess I let loose a little bit here. It is just such a sad and senseless death. :(</p>
<p>Most of you people don’t have the facts. This is tragic and senseless and I can’t figure out how it happened but the facts are:</p>
<p>The mother evidently made two trips as she arrived at the school to get doughnuts & juice out of the back of the car. Did not see the daughter sleeping in the back seat. Was on autopilot b/c she normally drops the girl off first, then goes to school. This day she got doughnuts and realized it was too early to drop off her daughter, so she went to the school.</p>
<p>So she did not DELIBERATELY leave her child in the car without “liquids or bathroom breaks.”</p>
<p>I have no idea why the babysitter did not call to find out where the child was that day. Again, tragic oversight.</p>
<p>And the newspaper headline that screamed “Mother had left child in car before” (I’m paraphrasing) referred to incidents where she was picking up the older child from daycare and had the baby in the car. How many of you pick up children from multiple places and get them all out of car seats to come in to get the other kid(s)? They are probably safer sleeping in the car seat for a few minutes than maneuvering through the parking lot with you.</p>
<p>She may resign her job, in any case; she must be distraught and beating herself up, not to mention in mourning.</p>
<p>Some people are screaming for her head because of similar instances of “poor, black, or Hispanic” women making parenting errors and being punished by jail time and having their other children taken away. Two wrongs don’t make a right. In the absence of malice, I think no good is served by making any mourning parent serve jail time for the death of a child. </p>
<p>Yes, there should be investigation and in many cases the parents need training/supervision, yes, but not punishment.</p>
<p>I suggest everyone read up on all the media bits.<br>
It will clear up a lot of your musings. i.e. the father usually dropped off the baby at the sitter. Sometimes father kept the baby at home with him. Also, it will explain a bit about laws in Ohio, which some folks think should be changed.</p>
<p>If nothing else, I hope all the publicity on this makes other mom’s aware, so they won’t consider leaving a baby in the car ‘for just a minute’. or forget the baby is with them.</p>
<p>And here in the UK, we have had the 4-month-long tragedy of little Madeleine McCann, who vanished from the family’s hotel room in a resort in Portugal.</p>
<p>The parents had left Maddie, age 3, and her siblings, a set of twins age 2 in the hotel room by themselves while they went out to dinner.</p>
<p>The parents, both doctors, had locked the children in the room. They were staying in the Mark Warner resort, which has babysitters as part of the service.</p>
<p>The news this morning is that after questioning the mother for 12 hrs. she has been named a suspect in the child’s disappearance.</p>