AZ - Isabel Mercedes Celis, 6, Tucson, 20 April 2012 - #11

[Whisperer]

Not at all. Many people leave pets outdoors in summer here, which can hit 112 degrees. They have a patio and presumably water dishes. Doesn't look like much by way of shade from trees, but dogs are often outdoors all summer long in this area.

I can't stand to even think what people do to dogs in this country. It literally makes me ill.

If I had to put any of my dogs outside in that heat, even for a short time, it wouldn't be w/o a pool. that is downright cruel. Do.gs have no way to cool themselves. Keeping their feet wet and cool hel ps tremendously. I was always taught to have a wading pool of fresh water out there...ALWAYS..if you live in a hot climate. You can buy a plastic wading pool at any Kmart.

I don't think I saw one at their residence...

 

[Shelby2]

It does strike me as odd the way her father told the story of Isabel heading off to bed, like a teenager...

Was he alone in the room at the time? Was this the living room? Did he even say? Were the boys elsewhere, and Mom in bed?

Maybe there is tension between Mom and Dad (if there is, which there seems to be to me) because he didn't actually put her to bed? Or did she always just wander off to bed on her own? If she did, fine, but why not clarify? It just all sounds weird...like there is a part missing...

JMO

I got the feeling she just went to bed. Maybe he is so used to her putting herself to bed that it didn't occur to him he would need to clarify?
My son would put himself to bed at that age, he'd say goodnight, brush his teeth and go on up to bed. My daughter was the opposite, she wanted me to 'tuck her in' until she was 13. But the way each of our kids did it just seemed normal to me. I'm pretty sure I put myself to bed at that age.
Oh another thing-not sure if it's what 'experts' say to do now, but with my daughter, I was always advised to keep bedtime as uninteresting as possible-stories were read in the living room, then we'd try to get her to bed, and if she called us we were to just reinforce that it was time to go to sleep and we'd see her in the morning. Not to keep going in the room. (it never worked LOL).

Maybe the sons said they didn't wake up at all so LE just wanted to check their rooms out, in case someone had been in there?

 

[carole]

Unfortunately, whether the dogs were inside or outside, they didn't prevent Isabel from disappearing.

 

[Shelby2]

The night the 3 girls were attacked was a Monday night.

Yes, but reported at 1:48 AM. Maybe that's when he "lurks" around.

 

[Trista_mb]

In the video of Isabel dancing and singing on couch my eye kept catching on the open window in the background and the fact it was dark out. Maybe they weren't as safety conscious as some parents, thinking that doesn't happen to people like us or not even having it cross their minds. Windows could have been open all night as a way to cool house (I live in mt n it works for us-not sure about az). Just a thought.

 

[4csjk]

We live in Texas and it gets hot here. I have a pool in my yard and some shade and I would never leave a dog out in the heat. Way too dangerous. Looking at their home, I don't recall alot of shade or even grass for the pets. Was there a dog house? I thought I read they slept inside? Maybe I am mistaken.

 

[Shelby2]

I may have missed it-do we know for a fact their dogs are kept outside all day?

 

[pieper4]

This seems weird to me...we get warnings over here on the news to bring in the pets when it is in the 90's...JMO

That AZ heat seems too hot to me...I would never leave a pet outdoors, anymore than I would leave myself outdoors, lol...

Like anything else, you acclimate to the weather here. It's said your blood thins. I am a dog lover. Mine enjoyed laying in the yard and scaring off birds or under a tree... Many people have outdoor dogs that never come in the house. It seems harsh, but most dogs do fine here.

 

[Okay then]

I read a post way back alluding to the LE escorting the family one by one into the home. In addition there was an object covered by a towel during the SC visit. IIRC Events unfolded... cleaning crew estimates and explanations followed by local media interviews. IMO maybe the "chemicals" hit on something in the home and they were making the parents aware? Just a theory.

 

[4csjk]

Oh, I did not even notice the open window. Maybe they did sleep with open windows. I still say goodnight to my adult sons who are still living at home while in college. Since their college of choice was close to home they chose to live at home rather than an apartment. Cheaper for us. But I still knock on their bedroom doors on my way downstairs at night after tucking in girls and say goodnight and love you.

 

[cluciano63]

I got the feeling she just went to bed. Maybe he is so used to her putting herself to bed that it didn't occur to him he would need to clarify?
My son would put himself to bed at that age, he'd say goodnight, brush his teeth and go on up to bed. My daughter was the opposite, she wanted me to 'tuck her in' until she was 13. But the way each of our kids did it just seemed normal to me. I'm pretty sure I put myself to bed at that age.
Oh another thing-not sure if it's what 'experts' say to do now, but with my daughter, I was always advised to keep bedtime as uninteresting as possible-stories were read in the living room, then we'd try to get her to bed, and if she called us we were to just reinforce that it was time to go to sleep and we'd see her in the morning. Not to keep going in the room. (it never worked LOL).

Maybe the sons said they didn't wake up at all so LE just wanted to check their rooms out, in case someone had been in there?

It may be normal for her to take herself off to bed, but why not say so? As in, "as she does every night" or something like that? Especially with all of the questions about who put her to bed...

 

[carole]

In the video of Isabel dancing and singing on couch my eye kept catching on the open window in the background and the fact it was dark out. Maybe they weren't as safety conscious as some parents, thinking that doesn't happen to people like us or not even having it cross their minds. Windows could have been open all night as a way to cool house (I live in mt n it works for us-not sure about az). Just a thought.

Maybe they felt safer because of the wall around the house? IMO, you can never be too safe these days.

 

[Whisperer]

Working in the DOC with the worst of the worst criminals, I have an entirely different perspective on safety in the house. I spent most of my days getting information from them on how they operate. People who don't know criminals and don't want to read about them, live in an entirely different world...I am sure, they enjoy life a heck of a lot more than I do.

 

[cluciano63]

I think there is a reason the idea of her sleeping with her brothers came up...if she usually did, then who would know that?

In any event I think this was someone who knew the house, knew the camera did not work, etc...so they probably knew where to find Isabel, on an ordinary night. But if sleeping in her own room was NOT ordinary, why did she on this night?

Maybe LE has narrowed down a list of people who would know where she slept on a regular basis, and this is part of the "sensitive" info no one will talk about...

JMO

 

[carole]

I read a post way back alluding to the LE escorting the family one by one into the home. In addition there was an object covered by a towel during the SC visit. IIRC Events unfolded... cleaning crew estimates and explanations followed by local media interviews. IMO maybe the "chemicals" hit on something in the home and they were making the parents aware? Just a theory.

Yes, mom, dad and one of the boys were brought separately to the house by LE. Somewhere on MNM there's video of it.

 

[pieper4]

Maybe... just maybe... Dad was tired or in a solemn mood. Maybe he had to run a quick errand or make a quick visit elsewhere that night and was fine w/Isabel putting herself to bed.

Walls around homes here in Tucson are often more about keeping critters out (snakes, coyotes, javelina) or pets in than about security.

 

[carole]

I think there is a reason the idea of her sleeping with her brothers came up...if she usually did, then who would know that?

In any event I think this was someone who knew the house, knew the camera did not work, etc...so they probably knew where to find Isabel, on an ordinary night. But if sleeping in her own room was NOT ordinary, why did she on this night?

Maybe LE has narrowed down a list of people who would know where she slept on a regular basis, and this is part of the "sensitive" info no one will talk about...

JMO

We really don't know where she slept that night. No one has really said (that I remember). The screen on her window was off, the window was open (I think) so, it was just assumed at first that she had slept in her room that Friday night.

 

[pieper4]

I can't stand to even think what people do to dogs in this country. It literally makes me ill.

If I had to put any of my dogs outside in that heat, even for a short time, it wouldn't be w/o a pool. that is downright cruel. Do.gs have no way to cool themselves. Keeping their feet wet and cool hel ps tremendously. I was always taught to have a wading pool of fresh water out there...ALWAYS..if you live in a hot climate. You can buy a plastic wading pool at any Kmart.

I don't think I saw one at their residence...

I don't recall a shallow pool either. They may well have had a doggy door. (I have two). It looks like at least one of the dogs was a terrier-ish type. And another a large shepard-mix. We simply don't know.

 

[Shelby2]

It may be normal for her to take herself off to bed, but why not say so? As in, "as she does every night" or something like that? Especially with all of the questions about who put her to bed...

All I can think of is it was what happened every night-she put herself to bed. Maybe it wouldn't occur to him to say 'she did that every night'...It was just usual for them. He was just talking about the last time he saw her, probably not thinking he would need to explain?
When I heard him say he asked her if she was hungry, and she said 'no daddy I'm tired' I just assumed she went to bed. Maybe he watched her go into her room, IDK. But he was asked 'tell us about the last time you saw Isabel' and it seemed like he kinda got lost in that thought..must have been painful, he never knew that would be the last time he saw her.

 

[Shelby2]

We really don't know where she slept that night. No one has really said (that I remember). The screen on her window was off, the window was open (I think) so, it was just assumed at first that she had slept in her room that Friday night.

It seems like she must have, because her Dad went to her room to wake her up, didn't he?