Arizona girl, 2, left in car by father on 109-degree day and is found dead

[mickey2942]

I think that the most basic issue here, is the absolute scorching heat that day, in Phoenix, AZ. I know, that I wouldn't have even bothered with food or groceries, my first priority would have been to get my kids out of the heat. I don't even see how you could forget them, or even think that anyone would be "safe" in a car, even with AC on that day.

I just got an "excessive heat" warning on my phone today for Las Vegas, NV. Telling people to limit driving today, being outside, keep pets and kids inside as much as possible. It is going to be 120° there today, which is no joke. Cars have as much problems functioning in excessive heat as they do in excessive cold. I don't think people realize that.

This is a new type of excess heat, we are learning to deal with...it is not heat to casually go shopping. If your car breaks down, it could be hours to get a tow truck. Hours. Everyone's cars are having problems now, batteries are not made for this kind of extended heat...

 

[NuttMegg]

I think that the most basic issue here, is the absolute scorching heat that day, in Phoenix, AZ. I know, that I wouldn't have even bothered with food or groceries, my first priority would have been to get my kids out of the heat. I don't even see how you could forget them, or even think that anyone would be "safe" in a car, even with AC on that day.

I just got an "excessive heat" warning on my phone today for Las Vegas, NV. Telling people to limit driving today, being outside, keep pets and kids inside as much as possible. It is going to be 120° there today, which is no joke. Cars have as much problems functioning in excessive heat as they do in excessive cold. I don't think people realize that.

This is a new type of excess heat, we are learning to deal with...it is not heat to casually go shopping. If your car breaks down, it could be hours to get a tow truck. Hours. Everyone's cars are having problems now, batteries are not made for this kind of extended heat...

I had one, small, tough time years ago in Albuquerque. 105 deg. The air was so heavy, and I couldn't take a deep breath. I just walked slowly cuz I had to go to class. I keep thinking of that day and poor little Parker in 140+ temp, and stationed directly in the afternoon sun, thru a heat magnifying window.

 

[NuttMegg]

I think that the most basic issue here, is the absolute scorching heat that day, in Phoenix, AZ. I know, that I wouldn't have even bothered with food or groceries, my first priority would have been to get my kids out of the heat. I don't even see how you could forget them, or even think that anyone would be "safe" in a car, even with AC on that day.

I just got an "excessive heat" warning on my phone today for Las Vegas, NV. Telling people to limit driving today, being outside, keep pets and kids inside as much as possible. It is going to be 120° there today, which is no joke. Cars have as much problems functioning in excessive heat as they do in excessive cold. I don't think people realize that.

This is a new type of excess heat, we are learning to deal with...it is not heat to casually go shopping. If your car breaks down, it could be hours to get a tow truck. Hours. Everyone's cars are having problems now, batteries are not made for this kind of extended heat...

I was reading that cars are made to shut down after 30min or so in part, because while the car is in park, the a/c doesn't cool for long, after awhile essentially blowing uncooled air. Apparently because the a/c néeds the pressure of higher rpms to work right. (No mechanic here, but it makes sense).

 

[TTF14]

He didn't check on her outside OR inside for 3 hrs, even then it was only when ES got home that he checked. Could have been 4 hours if she had been delayed at work? More?

I wonder if it was typical for him to have the older children watch the 2 year old and he easily slipped into that auto pilot because it was routine. No excuse for this negligence.

 

[TTF14]

Sorry to be dense but I’m still confused. How does having a ‘lucrative job market waiting’ affect this case? I’m genuinely not sure how it matters whether he had one qualification, 10 qualifications or was head of NASA.

I think OP just meant that he probably didn't have the earning potential his wife did.

 

[NuttMegg]

I wonder if it was typical for him to have the older children watch the 2 year old and he easily slipped into that auto pilot because it was routine. No excuse for this negligence.

Í thought of that too. And I give him points for arriving home within 1 minute of the older kids. But he must have been thinking of something very important to him to just blow off any concern for her for so long.

Would the kids have routinely changed diapers?

 

[SMK777]

I wonder if it was typical for him to have the older children watch the 2 year old and he easily slipped into that auto pilot because it was routine. No excuse for this negligence.

Right, not trying in any way to excuse his negligence, but I can’t imagine his knowingly leaving her outside for 3 hours leading to her death and his arrest. Purely selfish motives would prevent that, so I’m thinking he totally forgot she was outside…

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Right, not trying in any way to excuse his negligence, but I can’t imagine his knowingly leaving her outside for 3 hours leading to her death and his arrest. Purely selfish motives would prevent that, so I’m thinking he totally forgot she was outside…

However that is bound to eventually happen if leaving a sleeping little-one alone in the car is habitual, IMO.

 

[SMK777]

However that is bound to eventually happen if leaving a sleeping little-one alone in the car is habitual, IMO.

True. An accident waiting to happen.

 

[Herat]

Negligent homicide works as the best descriptor for me:

Criminal negligent homicide (more commonly referred to as “Involuntary Manslaughter” and also referred to as “Negligent Homicide”) is a crime of causing another's death through criminal negligence. Criminal negligence involves more than ordinary carelessness, inattention or mistake in judgment.

Repetitively and knowingly leaving a toddler unable to fend for themselves or unable to call for help in an extremely high-risk situation is certainly more than ordinary carelessness.

 

[SMK777]

Negligent homicide works as the best descriptor for me:

Criminal negligent homicide (more commonly referred to as “Involuntary Manslaughter” and also referred to as “Negligent Homicide”) is a crime of causing another's death through criminal negligence. Criminal negligence involves more than ordinary carelessness, inattention or mistake in judgment.

Repetitively and knowingly leaving a toddler unable to fend for themselves or unable to call for help in an extremely high-risk situation is certainly more than ordinary carelessness.

Agreed. It seems he viewed the air conditioned car, for all 3 of them at times, as a handy babysitting station, and ignored the dangers, although his wife claims to have pointed it out numerous times.

 

[threesevenninefour]

I would not trust the mother's judgement, as another parent, or as a doctor. She KNEW this was continuing. Whatever their relationship, of her talking at him and him blowing her off, the safety issues of helpless children were not something to play power games over. And the "Sorry Babe!" text is astonishing when he had just killed her child. And then she swung from anger to shared reminiscing immediately.

I'm not a psychiatrist but wow to both of them. I hope the kids have other extended family to provide love and guidance. They may have survivor's guilt, same for the 4 year old whose baby sister died on the boat. And on some level, all of the kids may feel unsafe in a primal way.

I'm not even convinced she won't leave him alone with the kids, there is a really off dynamic between them, JMOO. He has a documented history of ignoring court orders. Getting him released from jail is not a choice I would have made.

RIP Parker. This was avoidable.

Yup, I was extremely sympathetic to mom at first, but after getting more background info my sympathy has definitely waned a little. This man had a long history before she decided to marry him and have kids with him. I agree that him being a SAHD had more to do with trying to “game the system” and less with him actually wanting to be a caregiver to these three girls. Or having the capacity to be.

MOO.

 

[traveller404]

I'll bet she was sleeping and he didn't want to wake her. No excuse at all though. A two year old that's awake is not going to want to be left in a car alone while the parent goes inside the house. I think the child would scream loudly and cry if left unattended. I think the dad thought he could get X,Y and Z done while she was napping but it was the wrong decision for sure.

I agree, the child must have made noise, as a parent how are you completely oblivious.

 

[Herat]

Agreed. It seems he viewed the air conditioned car, for all 3 of them at times, as a handy babysitting station, and ignored the dangers, although his wife claims to have pointed it out numerous times.

Exactly

A babysitting station that was convenient for HIM, because, rather than have a sleeping toddler safely in her bed but prone to waking up and needing attention, he could apply all his attention to his own needs. He wouldn't have to hear her cries or fusses or deal with her at all. She would be invisible to him while he had his fun.

This guy needs to go to prison and his wife needs to figure out why this was allowed to repetitively happen. She clearly had knowledge of prior incidents.

In her job as an anesthesiologist, she is continuously faced with a situation of close monitoring of essentially helpless patients under anesthesia and she must pay attention to vital signs and monitoring equipment. She cannot allow a condition of extreme danger to exist without taking action of some sort.

Why this attention to possible extreme danger did not extend to the unacceptable risks her husband was taking, with all 3 children, is very strange to me. If I was in a position to employ her, I would be very concerned about her blindness to the danger her children were in and her judgement.

 

[Herat]

I think that the most basic issue here, is the absolute scorching heat that day, in Phoenix, AZ. I know, that I wouldn't have even bothered with food or groceries, my first priority would have been to get my kids out of the heat. I don't even see how you could forget them, or even think that anyone would be "safe" in a car, even with AC on that day.

I just got an "excessive heat" warning on my phone today for Las Vegas, NV. Telling people to limit driving today, being outside, keep pets and kids inside as much as possible. It is going to be 120° there today, which is no joke. Cars have as much problems functioning in excessive heat as they do in excessive cold. I don't think people realize that.

This is a new type of excess heat, we are learning to deal with...it is not heat to casually go shopping. If your car breaks down, it could be hours to get a tow truck. Hours. Everyone's cars are having problems now, batteries are not made for this kind of extended heat...

I agree. I'm in part of this awful western heat wave and I don't leave the house between 10 am and 7 pm because it's just too awful to have to deal with the heat. I cannot imagine carting around 3 little kids in this kind of heat. Far less deliberately leaving any of them in the care midday.

 

[SMK777]

Exactly

A babysitting station that was convenient for HIM, because, rather than have a sleeping toddler safely in her bed but prone to waking up and needing attention, he could apply all his attention to his own needs. He wouldn't have to hear her cries or fusses or deal with her at all. She would be invisible to him while he had his fun.

This guy needs to go to prison and his wife needs to figure out why this was allowed to repetitively happen. She clearly had knowledge of prior incidents.

In her job as an anesthesiologist, she is continuously faced with a situation of close monitoring of essentially helpless patients under anesthesia and she must pay attention to vital signs and monitoring equipment. She cannot allow a condition of extreme danger to exist without taking action of some sort.

Why this attention to possible extreme danger did not extend to the unacceptable risks her husband was taking, with all 3 children, is very strange to me. If I was in a position to employ her, I would be very concerned about her blindness to the danger her children were in and her judgement.

Well stated.

 

[callmehenry]

I think OP just meant that he probably didn't have the earning potential his wife did.

Ah I see! Thank you for clarifying.

 

[airportwoman]

No offence but does it really matter if he has a degree or not? Many people don’t have any qualifications but still manage to parent their children sufficiently. I fail to see how his education comes into this tbh

Not on the surface, but if he lied about his credentials and job experience, that's a big deal.

 

[airportwoman]

With 2 older kids and a toddler, he should not have had time for an entire afternoon of video games.

At those ages, he should have been playing WITH the kids!

 

[Herat]

I wonder how often this happened. Did he routinely put the toddler in the car when they were there at home without going out on grocery trips or such? Like every day.