DC parents leave kids in car for wine tasting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope that they don't put the kids in DC foster care. We know how that turns out.

How?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope that they don't put the kids in DC foster care. We know how that turns out.

How?

Poorly, in many cases.

[Anonymous]

They may try the ASD/Aspergers-autism defense bc they will likely try anything and everything, but I'm not aware that people with ASD are into harming others. Sure they may not understand situations with other people or emotions or miss the point of the joke/conversation sometimes, but I think they do understand the big things like "don't leave a 3 yr old alone." Plus how many people with ASD would be so desperate to go to a wine tasting? The stereotype is loners, not social butterflies.

As for the "I'm from France, I don't know any better and that's what we do there" -- eh, I don't see it. His wife is from here and she ought to know. Plus looking at his LinkedIn, it looks like he got a masters in Europe in 2000 and after that all of his jobs seem to be in the U.S. in the DC area (didn't look at each and every one but just by company name) -- that means he's been in the U.S. for a decade and a half and didn't just fall off the boat yesterday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope that they don't put the kids in DC foster care. We know how that turns out.

How?

Poorly, in many cases.

+1.

Looks like Jennie has taken down her linkedin but her DH's is still up. It looks like he went to school in Europe from HS through grad school, so chances are his whole family is over there. Any clue where she's from? Any idea where she went to college -- often in state signifies that the person is from that state and then moved later for grad school/work. If his family isn't here and say hers is on the west coast, where else would the kids be now but foster care? It's not like they'll give them to a family friend or something, even if the family friend is willing to take them and the parents request it.

[Anonymous]

They will profusely apologize and say it was a big mistake, they love their kids and know what they did was wrong. Then say it is in the best interest of the kids to be with them etc etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope that they don't put the kids in DC foster care. We know how that turns out.

How?

Poorly, in many cases.

+1.

Looks like Jennie has taken down her linkedin but her DH's is still up. It looks like he went to school in Europe from HS through grad school, so chances are his whole family is over there. Any clue where she's from? Any idea where she went to college -- often in state signifies that the person is from that state and then moved later for grad school/work. If his family isn't here and say hers is on the west coast, where else would the kids be now but foster care? It's not like they'll give them to a family friend or something, even if the family friend is willing to take them and the parents request it.

I think she's from CA. Maybe their families can come take the kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This is the part I do not get as a single mom. I have been in situation where did a drive to location and then kid is asleep in car when you arrive. So as single mom I have put sleeping kid in stroller and then gone inside to do what went to do. But if 2 parents and already in car with kids near restaurant, why not tag team and each go I inside for 30 Minutes at time?

Another option, since they were already there with the kids in the car, why didn't they leave the car on and take turns going in for 30-45 minutes at a time, then coming out and tagging to let the other parent go in. If they were really parked just a couple of blocks away, how hard would it be to just take turns going in?

[Anonymous]

That's probably what will happen, there's no way her Asian family -- whether they're tight knit or not -- will feel ok re their grandkids or niece/nephew being the in the foster care system for any length of time; though if they are taken to the west coast, I guess the parents aren't seeing them until this whole this is over. Sucks for the kids -- I mean maybe they have a connection with west coast family, but beyond Skype and seeing them 1-2x a yr, I doubt it; it's not as easy as if they had a grandma down the street that they saw 3 times a week bc it would at least be less traumatizing for them to be given to someone familiar while all this plays out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
This is the part I do not get as a single mom. I have been in situation where did a drive to location and then kid is asleep in car when you arrive. So as single mom I have put sleeping kid in stroller and then gone inside to do what went to do. But if 2 parents and already in car with kids near restaurant, why not tag team and each go I inside for 30 Minutes at time?

Another option, since they were already there with the kids in the car, why didn't they leave the car on and take turns going in for 30-45 minutes at a time, then coming out and tagging to let the other parent go in. If they were really parked just a couple of blocks away, how hard would it be to just take turns going in?

There were lots of options -- tag teaming in the car; tag teaming from home since they only live a few blocks away; bringing the kids in with them if allowed -- or at least tag teaming such that one parent sat in the front "waiting" area with them while the other one boozed it up and then switch; one parent taking a hit and not going at all and letting the other one attend; hiring some teenage babysitter; hiring a WH nanny. It was the middle of the afternoon on a non-holiday Saturday -- it's not like it was NYE and there was absolutely no way to get anyone to watch the kids if you don't book it in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: It was the middle of the afternoon on a non-holiday Saturday -- it's not like it was NYE and there was absolutely no way to get anyone to watch the kids if you don't book it in advance.

True, if it was NYE, they would have been better going to Ruth Chris than to Ris anyways.

[Anonymous]

NBC Washington says a pedestrian called police because one of the children was crying hysterically. So much for monitoring with a cell phone.

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Parents-Jenny-Chang-and-Christopher-Lucas-Accused-of-Leaving-Toddlers-in-Locked-Car-During-Wine-Tasting-290593191.html?partner=nbcnews?par=nbcnews&site=nbcnews.com&cm_ven=nbcnews&cm_cat=Article

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you who have kids this age (mine isn't old enough yet), how much do they talk and convey thoughts and more importantly how much do they remember?

Will a 3 yr old talk about how he/she was so cold in the car or develop a fear of cars or whatever? How about a 2 yr old? Will they forget eventually or is it going to take years? Or is it like infants where they don't remember/have a sense of time? I realize every kid is different but just curious from a child dev point of view.

2 year old will probably forget, but a 3 year old will likely talk about it...I do think eventually, they will forget it.

They'll likely forget the car incident, but being placed in a temporary home with people they don't know outside of their routine even for one night will scar them for life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which court was this in? Like the equivalent of state criminal court? Or something that was more like family court? Assuming it was criminal court, I feel like judges are thinking about punishing the offenders not what's better for the family, right? I'm a lawyer but 99.99% civil work so I don't know this area -- I just don't know if the judge would have been thinking about how hysterical a 2 and 3 yr old would be for a whole 3 days without their parents.

IF there's an accusation of severe neglect, they will remove the kids first and hold an emergency hearing in family court where the govt, parents (rep by lawyer) and guardian ad-leitem for the child's interests can argue their case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope that they don't put the kids in DC foster care. We know how that turns out.

How?

Poorly, in many cases.

+1.

Looks like Jennie has taken down her linkedin but her DH's is still up. It looks like he went to school in Europe from HS through grad school, so chances are his whole family is over there. Any clue where she's from? Any idea where she went to college -- often in state signifies that the person is from that state and then moved later for grad school/work. If his family isn't here and say hers is on the west coast, where else would the kids be now but foster care? It's not like they'll give them to a family friend or something, even if the family friend is willing to take them and the parents request it.

On her facebook account she was a member of a group for alumni of a high school in San Francisco.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who the hell drives 4 blocks to go to a wine tasting?

I cannot fathom even thinking of doing this. Those poor children. Imagine how scared they must have been. My toddler won't let me out of her sight.

The only thing I can think of is that in their (totally, totally screwed up) minds, they somehow thought it was better/safer for the kids to be unattended in the car in front of (?) the restaurant than in their home. I do not get it (any of it), but that's all I can come up with.

They couldn't leave one patent at home either the kids? Or switch off after an hour?

Of course they could have, and should have. What they did is totally effed up. The above is just the only explanation I can come up with for why the kids were left in the (freezing cold, UGH) car when the restaurant was 4 blocks from their home. Disordered, nonsensical and totally wrong; just trying to think of how they came to this incredibly poor decision.

The parents probably drove their kids around the block a few times to get them to fall asleep, then parked when they were asleep.