Mom locks kid out on deck in 41 degree weather -- is this a crime?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Warning from police. Investigation by CPS. Not a felony.
Why didn't neighbor knock and say she noted that the child was locked out, don't know if you're aware, wanted to make sure everything is ok?

+1000 This is what a concerned neighbor would do. But not anymore. Too many nanny state watchdogs on the prowl.

+2000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The article provides very little information.

I find it difficult to judge the actions of the neighbor, the police, or the school without knowing more.

Had the neighbors witnessed similar incidents in the past and tried to intervene in a more helpful and understanding matter?

Did the teacher have a history of complaints at work?

Had the police been to the home before to issue warnings?

I don't think a kid can really deserve this punishment-- there are a slew of better options-- which is why I said it's difficult to judge the actions of the mother-- she definitely made a mistake. The only exception I can think of is if for some reason he were so out of control that he was frightening her and threatening the safety or herself and her other child, but the scanty details the article provides suggest that he ceased being a threat (by shivering, huddling, sobbing to himself).

She probably already tried a slew of other options. Maybe she was expecting her DS to say, "I'm sorry and I'll follow house rules inside from now on." Seems logical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bad parenting. Not a crime. Sheesh, what is up with the neighbors? If they were so concerned, they should have knocked on her door or let the kid stay warm in their house until the mom came out. I've seen plenty of bad parenting out in public - I'm not going to call the police on the parents. Now the mom may lose her job and god knows what else - which will be great for the kids.

It was 10:30 at night and who knows how long the child was out there.... Maybe hours? Maybe the neighbors watched for hours and finally called the police. I would have to. No, I would not take the child into my house. The mom doesn't seem sane and I would hate for her to say that I took her child into my house without permission. I think she deserves every consequence she gets coming to here. Obviously the police felt enough harm for the child to file charges. Why are people not understanding that we don't know the whole story? Obviously more to it than this.... Maybe the sister and brother told the police other alarming things

Hours! Hours! Well if they watched for hours and didn't invite the kid in, or knock on the door both you and they are the shittiest neighbors around. I know you are not my neighbor, because my neighbors are neighborly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The children are adopted... Not her biological children. Sad. They were taken away from their biological children due to abuse

Cite

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The children are adopted... Not her biological children. Sad. They were taken away from their biological children due to abuse

Cite

This is from a custodian of the school, sorry, not googable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bad parenting. Not a crime. Sheesh, what is up with the neighbors? If they were so concerned, they should have knocked on her door or let the kid stay warm in their house until the mom came out. I've seen plenty of bad parenting out in public - I'm not going to call the police on the parents. Now the mom may lose her job and god knows what else - which will be great for the kids.

It was 10:30 at night and who knows how long the child was out there.... Maybe hours? Maybe the neighbors watched for hours and finally called the police. I would have to. No, I would not take the child into my house. The mom doesn't seem sane and I would hate for her to say that I took her child into my house without permission. I think she deserves every consequence she gets coming to here. Obviously the police felt enough harm for the child to file charges. Why are people not understanding that we don't know the whole story? Obviously more to it than this.... Maybe the sister and brother told the police other alarming things

Hours! Hours! Well if they watched for hours and didn't invite the kid in, or knock on the door both you and they are the shittiest neighbors around. I know you are not my neighbor, because my neighbors are neighborly.

+1

[Anonymous]

I can't believe you freaks who are more outraged by a "busybody" than by the so-called mother who thinks locking a 10yo out of the house late at night without a coat or warm clothes. Talk about messed-up priorities. No one knows why the neighbor called the police - maybe she tried knocking first. Maybe she knew the mother was drunk or unstable. Maybe it was a neighbor a few doors down who had small kids of her own and didn't have a better way to intervene safely.

Personally, I wouldn't knock on my neighbors' door at 10 or 11pm unless I knew them very well; and if I was uncertain about how to handle an apparent domestic disturbance, damn straight I'd call the police without thinking twice.

No one should be criticized for calling the police to alert them to a potentially unsafe situation with a young kid. Ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe you freaks who are more outraged by a "busybody" than by the so-called mother who thinks locking a 10yo out of the house late at night without a coat or warm clothes. Talk about messed-up priorities. No one knows why the neighbor called the police - maybe she tried knocking first. Maybe she knew the mother was drunk or unstable. Maybe it was a neighbor a few doors down who had small kids of her own and didn't have a better way to intervene safely.

Personally, I wouldn't knock on my neighbors' door at 10 or 11pm unless I knew them very well; and if I was uncertain about how to handle an apparent domestic disturbance, damn straight I'd call the police without thinking twice.

No one should be criticized for calling the police to alert them to a potentially unsafe situation with a young kid. Ever.

What neighborhood did this happen in? If I heard a kid outside crying, i would not assume it was a domestic disturbance. I would assume the kid was being punished. We live in a neighborhood filled with kids, and you can hear kids crying all the way from the next street over. It feels terrible to hear, and sometimes I look outside just to make sure everything is okay, but the obvious assumption is that they have gotten hurt or are being punished -- which as we all know, happens in every family.

[Anonymous]

If it were a few of the neighbors in my community, I would have called the police rather than knock on the door. My knock would have been unwelcome, caused more tension between us and would not generate any record of a problem.

I don't know whether the mother should be charged with a crime but you're willfully ignorant if you think a child can't get hypothermia in 40 or even 50 degree weather. Ambient temperature is just one component of the conditions that lead to hypothermia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Warning from police. Investigation by CPS. Not a felony.
Why didn't neighbor knock and say she noted that the child was locked out, don't know if you're aware, wanted to make sure everything is ok?

+1
Why was it necessary to get the police involved?

[Anonymous]

Horrible that the police arrested this poor woman. Her life is ruined. That kid is going to be feel guilt his whole life now that mom can't ever get a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Horrible that the police arrested this poor woman. Her life is ruined. That kid is going to be feel guilt his whole life now that mom can't ever get a job.

They'll probably have to go on welfare - unless the mother loses custody to her drug addicted ex-DH who will probably abuse all the children except, having learned from her experience, not to do it so it leaves marks. Larlo, the frozen boy, will probably be so traumatized by this that he re-creates the scene every time it's 41 degrees hoping for a different result. But, because time travel hasn't been invented yet (or at least not available to regular folk), when the temperature rises, he snaps out of his waking nightmare re-traumatized by the tragic events of that day. But, he's never been arrested because he's an adult standing on the deck in 41 degree weather, not a child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horrible that the police arrested this poor woman. Her life is ruined. That kid is going to be feel guilt his whole life now that mom can't ever get a job.

They'll probably have to go on welfare - unless the mother loses custody to her drug addicted ex-DH who will probably abuse all the children except, having learned from her experience, not to do it so it leaves marks. Larlo, the frozen boy, will probably be so traumatized by this that he re-creates the scene every time it's 41 degrees hoping for a different result. But, because time travel hasn't been invented yet (or at least not available to regular folk), when the temperature rises, he snaps out of his waking nightmare re-traumatized by the tragic events of that day. But, he's never been arrested because he's an adult standing on the deck in 41 degree weather, not a child.

OK...that...was weird

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Horrible that the police arrested this poor woman. Her life is ruined. That kid is going to be feel guilt his whole life now that mom can't ever get a job.

Or maybe his life will be changed because his mother is abusive behind closed doors and he was too afraid/didn't know who to turn to for help. Thankfully, this time somebody saw and instead of ignoring it they called the cops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Horrible that the police arrested this poor woman. Her life is ruined. That kid is going to be feel guilt his whole life now that mom can't ever get a job.

Or maybe his life will be changed because his mother is abusive behind closed doors and he was too afraid/didn't know who to turn to for help. Thankfully, this time somebody saw and instead of ignoring it they called the cops.

Uh, he was outside. That is the opposite of behind closed doors.