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

[MsMarple]

Those poor kids! Subjected to being imprisoned in the car so dad can play his video games in peace and perhaps have a few drinks too.

They finally had an opportunity to tell an adult what was happening in the home but apparently the one person who should have listened - the judge - chose to be swayed instead by mother’s pleas to bring dad home.

Perhaps for now they won’t have to sit in a hot car but if dad gets a cushy plea deal what guarantees that he won’t go back to his old behavior? And there’s still the issue of his drinking.

Mom and dad instructed the kids to say dad is a good dad, essentially telling them that they deserved to be put in the car at the whim of their father. At their young ages did no one consider that the children may internalize those actions to mean it’s all their fault their sister died? That they failed to save her?

There is so much wrong in the handling of this case IMO. If the judge isn’t taking the Grand Jury’s indictment seriously then what’s the point?
All MOO

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Similarities to circumstances in a family we knew well.

Beautiful brilliant daughter, engaged to young attorney. Suddenly breaks engagement, decides to go to medical school.Suddenly there is a jobless young man with a sad story on the scene, totally supportive of her goal. Just as she is about to move across country and start Med school, she finds out she is pregnant. No problem, as he has no job, her family is paying the bills, so he will be home with baby, she will get her MD. Happily ever after.

To make this short, she excelled, winning honors. He became bored and resentful in a passive aggressive way. He turned to online gambling and ran up a huge debt. The second time she found the toddler, locked in a separate room while he gambled, that was the END.

My guess is this guy kept the kids in the car to keep them ‘contained’…like he was off duty and wouldn’t be disturbed. I would guess that boredom and resentment factors in as well.

Agree re: use of the car to contain. Re: above, is there a particular case you are referring to? I have to confess that I am lost.

Also agree re: bored, resentful and passive aggressive, JMOOO. Even the body language with hands in pockets at hearing seemed to have that same vibe to me. MOOO. Minimizing the legal consequences for him may also be about protecting ES, legally and re: her earning capacity, time may tell, IMHO, that has to be a huge factor. She has school debt and young kids and a n'er do well husband who seems to have little earning capacity/career and expensive legal woes. The way he was "staged" at the hearing was SO different, I confess at first I did not recognize him and thought he was one of his legal counsel. JMOO.

 

[airportwoman]

Oh, I don’t know about indefinitely. I wouldn’t be surprised if he suddenly feels like working again once his oldest turns 18.

That doesn't make delinquent child support go away.