HappyMomma

I get so frustrated seeing children left in the car while parents run errands or whatever. The thing that gets me about this story is that they arrested the tow truck driver for child endangerment. Was he not just doing his job? In Texas, leaving your child in the car is a misdemenor crime if the child is under seven. This child was exactly seven so I guess that is why they did not prosecute the mother. But I still feel it should have been the mother's responsibility to make sure her son was safe.



Jio parked her car in a fire lane while she ran upstairs to her apartment. She left her 7-year-old son, Sergio, asleep in the backseat of the car. When Jio came back downstairs, her car and her son were both gone. Her first thought was, "that someone had stolen my car," she said. "I didn't think I was going to see him again."

Neighbors alerted Jio that her car had actually been towed. She called the police and, after several minutes of panic, the tow truck driver returned with Sergio still sleeping in the car.

cbs11tv.com - Dallas Child Sleeps In Car As It Is Towed Away


* Leaving a child in a vehicle is punishable under the Texas Penal Code, Title 5, Chapter 22, Section 10 ¤ 22.10. LEAVING A CHILD IN A VEHICLE. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly leaves a child in a motor vehicle for longer than five minutes, knowing that the child is: (1) younger than seven years of age; and (2) not attended by an individual in the vehicle who is 14 years of age or older. (b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. Note: If the child is injured, the charge is then elevated to child endangerment, which is a felony. The penalties are six months to two years in jail and a fine up to $10,000.

DFPS - Look Before You Leave and save the life of a child

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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

Xero

Aw... I would never consider leaving any child (my siblings or my own kids or anything) in the car without me until they were at least like 12 maybe older haha. But that's because you never know what a kid is going to do while you're not looking, and you never know what kind of people are going to come by either. Or if the car is going to explode? I don't know!! It's not that hard to take them in with you. But that's just me.

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HappyMomma

I agree. It can definately be an inconvenience. But there are so many things that can happen. Everytime I see a child left in the car I think "Jeez, there's another Amber Alert waiting to happen."

Another big issue here in Texas is during the summer, we lose children that have been left in cars to the heat. It's absolutely horrible!

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

Xero

Yeah I was thinking that too. That's just terrible, leaving little ones in the car with all the heat down there. And yeah that's funny because I was just out with my mom the other day and we parked at the tanning place and there was a van with two little girls that looked pretty young sitting in it and I was all mad. It's just the way I feel about that kind of thing. I was going to Wal-Mart yesterday too, and I stopped for gas. I tried to pay outside and it wouldn't read my card (figures) so I had to go like ten feet into the store, and you better believe my little boy got unbuckled and came in with me even though I only took less than a minute.

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Trina

I agree it was the mother's responsibility. SHE left her child in the car. The tow truck driver probably didn't even notice, and was just doing his job. His only fault was to assume no one would leave their kid in the vehicle.


NEVER leave a child in a vehicle unsupervised!

www.kidsandcars.org

Harrison's Hope Home Page

It's illegal in my state to leave kids under 12 in cars unsupervised for any length of time. Even if a state does not have a specific law prohibiting adults from leaving children unattended, state and local prosecuters have the discretion to criminally charge adults under existing child endangerment laws.

Trina

GOOD for you!

HappyMomma

I wish that was the case here. I feel that even 5 minutes is way too long.

I will admit that there have been a few occasions that Good Wolf has picked up the cell phone and reported.

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

Trina

Good GoodWolf!

Just looked this up... It's better than a lot of states. Many don't have any laws regarding this specific issue.

Texas Unattended Children in Cars Law
Law Mandate
A child under the age of 7 may not be left unattended in a motor vehicle for longer than five minutes. A child is considered supervised if accompanied in the vehicle by someone age 14 or older.*
*Please note that even if a state does not have a specific law prohibiting adults from leaving children unattended, state and local prosecutors have the discretion to criminally charge adults under existing child endangerment laws.
Enforcement
All offenses are punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.

You can look up state laws and regulations regarding child safety here along the right column.
Safe Kids USA: Preventing accidental injury.

Trina

Connecticut Unattended Children in Cars Law

Law Mandate
Children under age 12 may not be left unsupervised in a motor vehicle.*
*Please note that even if a state does not have a specific law prohibiting adults from leaving children unattended, state and local prosecuters have the discretion to criminally charge adults under existing child endangerment laws.

Enforcement
All offenses are punishable by a maximum one year prison term and/or a fine of no more than $2,000, however, if a child is left unattended in a motor vehicle anytime between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. that presents a substantial risk to the child's health and safety, the penalty is considered a class C felony, which carries a prison term in excess of one year and/or a fine of no more than $10,000.

Good Wolf

I've actually told a mother that was running into the liquor store that I was watching her kids so no one would kidnap them. She smiled at me and said 'thanks' without skipping a beat. So very sad.

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Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis.