HappyMomma

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - An Indianapolis father accused of child neglect said it was all an innocent mistake. Police arrested Charles Reed after his young children left their home when he fell asleep last week.

Reed's three-year-old child was found wandering the parking lot. His one-year-old child was found several hundred feet away sitting between two parked cars on the asphalt with the temperature in the 80s. Neighbors said the child was crying and needed attention.

"I picked her up, took her in the apartment. I fed her, changed her, put some clothes on her...she was wearing an outfit that was too hot for this weather," said neighbor Rosemary Lawless.

When police arrived, they went door-to-door looking for the parents.
"According to the report he apparently wasn't too concerned with the welfare of the kids and stated that he had fallen asleep," said IMPD Sgt. Paul Thompson.

The report also said that Reed laughed when police showed up.
"I smirked... I said, 'You can't be serious that you're taking my kids for an accident.' And one of the officers said 'You have no idea how serious this is'," said Reed.

"You should have a responsible person awake at all times because, if you do fall asleep, you don't know when your kids will wake up and possibly get injured or get into some type of mischief," said Sgt. Thompson.
"We should have took more precautions. We should have and that's the truth," said Reed.

Reed was arrested and charged with child neglect. The children were placed in the care of Child Protective Services.

Reed said that he is working with CPS to make the house safer. He will also be monitored by CPS when he is with the kids and he must take parenting classes.


WISH TV 8: Indianapolis News and Weather - Napping father arrested for child neglect

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The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable.
~Lane Olinghouse

.:Kalli Rae:.

I have done that. That is the scariest thing ever! I took what I thought was a cat nap and woke up to my kids playing outside in their diapers. I felt like the worst mom ever! From that moment on anytime I would feel like I need a cat nap (which happened very rarely after that incident)...I double checked the doors and rest in a chair so I don't get comfortable.

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Mother is the name for God in the lips and hearts of little children.
Kalli Rae--
Mommy to:
Aaron Joseph- 8yrs Lily Ann Marie- 7yrs Kyla Raye- 4yrs

Cthru

my husband had something happen like this with his two older boys (my step sons) He was very ill with a raging temp and the flu and all of them were sleeping together (they all had the same thing) when the youngest got up and left the house (I think he said he was 2 when it happened). The police arrived at his house and gave him a riot act. I think the only thing that stopped him from being arrested is that he was so sick and looked like death warmed over.

Skyburning

How realistic is this if you are a single parent? You have to sleep some time.

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HappyMomma

Ya know the funny things is that I posted this on another parenting forum and every response was pretty much 'send him to the gas chamber!'

I think sometimes people need to look at the big picture and realize that accidents do happen and people are only human... it's when the accidents happen over and over that there is a problem and it's no longer an 'accident."

__________________
The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable.
~Lane Olinghouse

Skyburning

lol..jeez killing him is a little harsh! I do agree that there is a little bit of lax parenting going on since the kids were able to get outside and that far from the house. Proofing your doors and windows is a must to me..but I can understand passing out. I get so tired sometimes I put Nolan in bed with me and we nap off and on all day, lol.

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HappyMomma

Let me rephrase... they agreed with the arrest. (oops)

Yes, I agree with you and I would hope that this incident would open his eyes to take measure to prevent this from happening again. But on a first offense - that seems a bit extreme to me.

__________________
The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable.
~Lane Olinghouse

Skyburning

Yeah I definitely don't think this is an arrest worthy incident-unless there is more to the story that got left out of that article.

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mandrsmom

Do you guys think, there must be something else to this story? Kids going to CPS on the first offense. This was extremly horrible, and he should be child proofing his house, but taking the kids away. Makes me think he had something else in his past.

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Waiting to win the Lottery!

HappyMomma

As much as I have read about our CPS system, I wouldn't be surprised if they did remove on the first offense... the system needs some serious reform.

Do I think there is more to the story, very hard to say with the way our media works.

__________________
The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable.
~Lane Olinghouse