this makes me mad..

at first yesterday.. when they said we won't prosecute this mother for forgetting her baby in the car.. and she died from the heat.. because I can see how someone may innocently forget.. there was no intent to leave her in the car all day. However, after this updated article came out today.. I'm MAD.. she's had a history of conveniently forgetting or leaving the baby in the vehicle. And how convenient to "forget" the baby even that same morning while she runs into Busken's to get all her donuts.. or did she not really forget her then.. and just thought she would be "okay" while she ran in.. and then forgot about her later.. http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=bdaedd71-ae0d-412a-9db4-46ad09e2094f what's your opinion on this.. should she pay some price other than knowing her actions caused the death of her baby.. my thoughts have changed since yesterday..

I am torn. Being a mom now, I cant wrap my brain around forgetting a child in the backseat. I know I have let my mind wander but I have never forgotten Mallory even for a second. I have never left her in the car to run into a store.. not even the 30 seconds it may take to pay for gas or whatever.. never, she comes with me at all times. I think the pain she is feeling for now knowing her actions killed her daughter is horrendous... the guilt is probably unliveable *it would be for me*... BUT On the flip side of the coin, she seemed to think it was ok to leave a 2 year old in the car alone for many different reasons. A TWO YEAR OLD who can climb, move about, etc.. Can you imagine if she could get out of her seat (like many 2 year olds can) what would happen should the mom have left the car running?? *shakes head* but... the poor baby intead, died because she was asleep in heat. I am mad and angry and basically dispise the mom for her actions.. meaning all of the times she left that baby in harms way... but I cant say just what a punishment should be for her.. like I said above the guilt and the pain/loss she is feeling (IF, assuming, she is a very caring mother) would be terrible. Like I said, I am torn.. I feel for her and the loss of her baby.. but on the same note, I am mortified that she could let it happen to begin with/

I am kinda torn, as well......... I have NEVER forgot my kids in the car ever......Thank God! There are so many babies / kids / animals that die here in Arizona because of the extreme heat. I think I can understand under certain cir****tances where it COULD happen (not that I think it is right or OK) For instance....maybe the father usually drops the baby off....and the mom was doing it, and since it was not her 'normal' routine to go to the sitter, she didnt think of it....I know at times when I go to work, my mind goes on auto-pilot and takes me on my 'normal' routine....sometimes I am at work and think "Damn, I dont even remember driving here" Another thing that MAY happen is you have a lot on your mind....maybe problems in the family, problems at work, medical issues, etc....and your mind is not in the right place...so, rather than thinking of what is happening in the moment, you are thinking of other things that need to be done.... I know that as for me....I am sooo worried when I have my grandbaby.... OMG....I stress the entire time I have her cause I don't usually have her and I am worried that I will forget. But see, I have other problems too, I am ADHD, and OCD....so my mind is constantly working and thinking about dumb stuff. It takes a lot of hard work for me to stay focused. Anyways.....I am with you Rhonda....with these new developments that she 'regularly' leaves her baby in the car.......THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. I dont leave my babies in the car for anything.....not even to run in and pay for gas. However, I did have a situation that scared the hell out of me..... I bought a curio cabinet, and while I was unloading it, I let my dog out with me.... We unloaded it and the kids locked up the car for me... I went in the house and put together the cabinet and started going through my wedding stuff and loading up the cabinet.... That was about 2pm...... WELL, about 6-7 pm, I went downstairs to let the dog out......and I couldn't find her anywhere.... I searched and we started looking around the neighborhood....so I backtracked my steps.....and I remembered the last time I saw her is when I was unloading the car....(mind you this was in the middle of summer temp was 108 out).....So I went down and she was in the car..... but OK... She was dehydrated, and tired.....but she was fine. I was a wreck. She had jumped in the car wanting to go for a ride. I always take her for rides and she loves it....I felt sooo bad..... Anyways now that I have written a book.....LOL I think the lady should be charged because she has shown a history of neglect. IMHO Jen

glad your doggie was okay.. I had a heart stoppin moment once.. many years ago with my pet Cat *Sammy*. She was declawed *the only way mom would allow her in her house after shredding drapes*.. and we had her tied outside on clothes line rope. One day I looked out and she was hanging from a tree .. I ran out.. and grabbed her.. her poor little toes were bloody from where she tried to claw/climb back up.. .. but SHE WAS STILL ALIVE with 8 more lives to go I feel the same as you on all the issues here.. even tho I have no kids. I worked with one lady before and she on rare occasions would take her granddaughter to the sitter. She said one day she picked her up and had her in the backseat.. and was off.. As she was pulling into work her granddaughter said "..grandma.. are we there yet.." she said .."****" AND turned around in the work parking lot and took her to the sitters. And I know myself.. have been on autopilot and wondered how the heck did I get to work.. but her written history of previous tendencies is not good here. I'm thinking some charge also.. IMO.

OMG.....wow, what a tough kitty! As for the lady you worked with.....had the baby not spoke up, could have been a bad situation..... Thats what I am scared of... But I think I am sooo scared that it won't allow it to leave my mind the whole time I have her.

I have very definite opinions on this situation and they haven't changed from day one. This mother is directly responsible for the death of her daughter and should be punished. This is no different than any other homicide where a driver makes a bad decision on the road and then is charged with murder. He didn't 'intend' to kill the person in the other car...but it happened. Now...let me paint another scenario. A young woman driving an old beat up car from a low income neighborhood pulls up to her job at the local fast food joint. She leaves her toddler in the car all day and the toddler dies. Do you think she'd get by without being charged with murder? NO WAY! So what's the difference if this mom happens to have a nice car, nice job and nice home? She's a smart woman. Educated. Good job where she made decisions affecting the lives of other people's children every day....and yet she left her child in a car all day to die. I know I'm not a mom so I have no idea what working mom's go through. BUT, I have a brother who has SIX kids. He and his wife are constantly counting heads, looking out for potential hazards, calling out names, scanning the area....they've NEVER forgotten a child in a car...and they both work full time. Even as the aunt...I can't imagine ever forgetting them in the car when I take them somewhere. When they're with me, they're always on my mind. And now hearing that this mother has repeatedly left her child in the car unattended makes me sick. I know she'll live her life guilt-ridden for what she did to her own child, but I still believe she deserves more punishment than that. It's as though the state is saying it's okay to forget your child in the car as long as you're sorry for it afterward. Okay.....I'm stepping off the soap box now!

and we wonder why Cincinnati have riots.. cuz some people are treated "DIFFERENTLY"..

another spin on Heat and Death and punishment: http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/06/police.dog/index.html

Hi Beckie.... That was a local story here in AZ..... Initially they said that he was absent-minded because his son was in a car accident.... and he was sooo upset about it that he forgot about the dog..... When this first happened, they said they would not file charges against him....HOWEVER, we DO have the toughest Sherrif in America, Joe Arpaio.....I am not surprised that he didn't let this one slide... But indeed, this is a very sad case. I hate to think about all the phases that an animal...or even worse, a child, goes through before they die. VERY SAD. We have a similar problem with swimming pool drownings here..... We have like 50 - 60 kids die in swimming pool drownings every year. VERY SAD ALSO. I made my builder install an alarm on the back door leading to the pool here at our new house... They thought it was OK to not have a pool fence or a proper lock or alarm on the door... Anyways, just as with any case, once you see the details (of him going out with the wife, etc...), its good that they are holding him responsible. Jen

Ya know I look at it this way. I never ever EVER, did not know where my baby was. I never even forgot my dog in the car. It just doesn't add up to me. I think it's a case of someone pushing the envelope untill the very tragic "accident" that they were being repeatedly told would happen, did. It just strikes me as yet another mind set of "it won't happen to me". I personally think they should prosecute if not to punish because we all know she will have to live witht this for the rest of her life, then to set an example and maybe keep it from happening again with someone else. Just my oppinion.