FL - Fendra Molme, 11 months, dies in hot car while parents attend church, Palm Bay, May 2023 *arrest*

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If she was running late, and asked someone else to get her baby out of the car, how much time was being saved? It takes less than one minute to take a baby out of a carseat and hand them over to the person you were going to ask to take the baby out of the car for you. And maybe 2 more minutes to drop that child off at the nursery yourself So instead of 5 minutes late, you'd be maybe 6 or 8.

Reminds me of the lesson my notoriously very punctual dad taught me as a newly licensed teenage driver: "Being on time is important, BUT If school or work is only 10 minutes away, driving 60 in a 40 because you're running late isn't worth the small amount of time you're going to shave off, and if you get a speeding ticket or crash at a more accelerated speed, you'll really wish you had only been late.

When we're running late or its a hectic day, etc we can feel a bit panicked and want to cut corners that aren't really going to save us much time or where the risks arent worth the reward. I try to remember my dad's advice whenever I feel rushed and under pressure, even if it doesn't involve driving.

I Realize moving forward, this advice won't be helpful for this woman because her child is already gone, but since other posters were offering advice to help remember that a baby is in the backseat, I wanted to share my dad's advice about arriving somewhere late.
 
MissMalowe said:
If she was running late, and asked someone else to get her baby out of the car, how much time was being saved? It takes less than one minute to take a baby out of a carseat and hand them over to the person you were going to ask to take the baby out of the car for you. And maybe 2 more minutes to drop that child off at the nursery yourself So instead of 5 minutes late, you'd be maybe 6 or 8.

Reminds me of the lesson my notoriously very punctual dad taught me as a newly licensed teenage driver: "Being on time is important, BUT If school or work is only 10 minutes away, driving 60 in a 40 because you're running late isn't worth the small amount of time you're going to shave off, and if you get a speeding ticket or crash at a more accelerated speed, you'll really wish you had only been late.

When we're running late or its a hectic day, etc we can feel a bit panicked and want to cut corners that aren't really going to save us much time or where the risks arent worth the reward. I try to remember my dad's advice whenever I feel rushed and under pressure, even if it doesn't involve driving.

I Realize moving forward, this advice won't be helpful for this woman because her child is already gone, but since other posters were offering advice to help remember that a baby is in the backseat, I wanted to share my dad's advice about arriving somewhere late.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I have also learned a very expensive lesson about being in a hurry to get somewhere on time.

It isn't worth it.
 
neesaki said:
Such as, was there actually another person who assured her they would take care of the baby. If so LE would have interviewed them by now.
Why didn’t the mother just take the baby in and deliver the baby to this responsible person. Priorities. Jmo
Click to expand...

I wonder also if the mother, in her hurry, could have not communicated clearly. Like, (and this is entirely speculation,) saying something like: “Will you take care of the baby?” as she hurries past—the other person assumes that she’ll be presented with a baby, and has no idea that she’s expected to go out to the car and get the baby. And then decided that someone else must be taking care of the baby.
 
Do we know how old the other children are? To me this points to the mother leaving the responsibility to a sibling, I feel like the wording would be more specific if it were an adult she had physically asked to remove the baby from the car, I don't know if that is what is determining her charges but I think its possible. JMO.
 
Right now we have more questions than answers and IMO once we know about the person who was supposed to take charge of the baby and how that responsibility came about, things should become clearer.

About a year ago another Palm Bay woman was arrested for deliberately leaving her child in the car for an extended period, causing the baby’s death. The circumstances were very different- she was busy drinking in a bar and seeking out drugs- but it might partly explain the Sheriff’s strong reaction in this case.

IMO I can’t imagine a scenario where the mother had a clear understanding with whoever was supposed to bring the child inside but is charged with manslaughter. What evidence has the investigation revealed?

Is the DA overstepping or did the mother fail to ensure her baby’s safety? Hopefully Florida’s Sunshine laws will help us find answers.
 
I don’t know if the bottom link will go directly to the latest arrest affidavit but you can start a search here:

Bulaine Molme
Choose the June 6 affidavit.

Ugh, the baby’s temperature at the hospital was over 108 degrees! Both parents were drug tested and the results were negative for both.

Mother was running late and opened the trunk to get her laptop and bible then went to the passenger side for her robe. Nearby CCTV showed her arriving and the kids getting out and going inside. There was no sign of church members getting the baby or any church members near the car.

A witness stated that it was Haitian Mothers Day and mother arrived between 15 minutes and a half hour late. The witness said he usually helped the mother unload equipment but it’s not clear if he did that day. He was inside the church and saw the older kids but didn’t see the baby but wasn’t concerned as usually church members cared for him/her.

Her husband stated she is a good mother and that typically church members help with the children. The mother was too hysterical to interview initially but when she was able to explained that the baby had fallen asleep in the car.

Mother said she saw the older kids with a church member and assumed the baby was with them as it was the typical routine.

Apart from hyperthermia the baby had no signs of abuse. For some reason the mother chose to park the car off to the side instead of directly in front of the church, which was her regular spot.

There’s a bit more but this is my best summary of the affidavit in case some aren’t able to view it. Msm will likely report on it soon.

 
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MsMarple said:
I don’t know if the bottom link will go directly to the latest arrest affidavit but you can start a search here:

Bulaine Molme
Choose the June 6 affidavit.

Ugh, the baby’s temperature at the hospital was over 108 degrees! Both parents were drug tested and the results were negative for both.

Mother was running late and opened the trunk to get her laptop and bible then went to the passenger side for her robe. Nearby CCTV showed her arriving and the kids getting out and going inside. There was no sign of church members getting the baby or any church members near the car.

A witness stated that it was Haitian Mothers Day and mother arrived between 15 minutes and a half hour late. The witness said he usually helped the mother unload equipment but it’s not clear if he did that day. He was inside the church and saw the older kids but didn’t see the baby but wasn’t concerned as usually church members cared for him/her.

Her husband stated she is a good mother and that typically church members help with the children. The mother was too hysterical to interview initially but when she was able to explained that the baby had fallen asleep in the car.

Mother said she saw the older kids with a church member and assumed the baby was with them as it was the typical routine.

Apart from hyperthermia the baby had no signs of abuse. For some reason the mother chose to park the car off to the side instead of directly in front of the church, which was her regular spot.

There’s a bit more but this is my best summary of the affidavit in case some aren’t able to view it. Msm will likely report on it soon.

Click to expand...
Thank you for summarizing. Poor baby :(
 
MsMarple said:
I don’t know if the bottom link will go directly to the latest arrest affidavit but you can start a search here:

Bulaine Molme
Choose the June 6 affidavit.

Ugh, the baby’s temperature at the hospital was over 108 degrees! Both parents were drug tested and the results were negative for both.

Mother was running late and opened the trunk to get her laptop and bible then went to the passenger side for her robe. Nearby CCTV showed her arriving and the kids getting out and going inside. There was no sign of church members getting the baby or any church members near the car.

A witness stated that it was Haitian Mothers Day and mother arrived between 15 minutes and a half hour late. The witness said he usually helped the mother unload equipment but it’s not clear if he did that day. He was inside the church and saw the older kids but didn’t see the baby but wasn’t concerned as usually church members cared for him/her.

Her husband stated she is a good mother and that typically church members help with the children. The mother was too hysterical to interview initially but when she was able to explained that the baby had fallen asleep in the car.

Mother said she saw the older kids with a church member and assumed the baby was with them as it was the typical routine.

Apart from hyperthermia the baby had no signs of abuse. For some reason the mother chose to park the car off to the side instead of directly in front of the church, which was her regular spot.

There’s a bit more but this is my best summary of the affidavit in case some aren’t able to view it. Msm will likely report on it soon.

Click to expand...
Hmmm yeah she gets no pass from me on this one.
 
MsMarple said:
I don’t know if the bottom link will go directly to the latest arrest affidavit but you can start a search here:

Bulaine Molme
Choose the June 6 affidavit.

Ugh, the baby’s temperature at the hospital was over 108 degrees! Both parents were drug tested and the results were negative for both.

Mother was running late and opened the trunk to get her laptop and bible then went to the passenger side for her robe. Nearby CCTV showed her arriving and the kids getting out and going inside. There was no sign of church members getting the baby or any church members near the car.

A witness stated that it was Haitian Mothers Day and mother arrived between 15 minutes and a half hour late. The witness said he usually helped the mother unload equipment but it’s not clear if he did that day. He was inside the church and saw the older kids but didn’t see the baby but wasn’t concerned as usually church members cared for him/her.

Her husband stated she is a good mother and that typically church members help with the children. The mother was too hysterical to interview initially but when she was able to explained that the baby had fallen asleep in the car.

Mother said she saw the older kids with a church member and assumed the baby was with them as it was the typical routine.

Apart from hyperthermia the baby had no signs of abuse. For some reason the mother chose to park the car off to the side instead of directly in front of the church, which was her regular spot.

There’s a bit more but this is my best summary of the affidavit in case some aren’t able to view it. Msm will likely report on it soon.

Click to expand...
It's also worth noting the other kids are aged 2, 5 and 8.
 
Hmmmm, I’m not feeling anything good about mom saying the baby fell asleep, then parking in an unusual spot.
I’m not saying the mother intended for the baby to die. I do wonder if she thought the baby would just sleep thru church in the car. Did the parking spot have more shade than her usual spot?
 
MsMarple said:
I don’t know if the bottom link will go directly to the latest arrest affidavit but you can start a search here:

Bulaine Molme
Choose the June 6 affidavit.

Ugh, the baby’s temperature at the hospital was over 108 degrees! Both parents were drug tested and the results were negative for both.

Mother was running late and opened the trunk to get her laptop and bible then went to the passenger side for her robe. Nearby CCTV showed her arriving and the kids getting out and going inside. There was no sign of church members getting the baby or any church members near the car.

A witness stated that it was Haitian Mothers Day and mother arrived between 15 minutes and a half hour late. The witness said he usually helped the mother unload equipment but it’s not clear if he did that day. He was inside the church and saw the older kids but didn’t see the baby but wasn’t concerned as usually church members cared for him/her.

Her husband stated she is a good mother and that typically church members help with the children. The mother was too hysterical to interview initially but when she was able to explained that the baby had fallen asleep in the car.

Mother said she saw the older kids with a church member and assumed the baby was with them as it was the typical routine.

Apart from hyperthermia the baby had no signs of abuse. For some reason the mother chose to park the car off to the side instead of directly in front of the church, which was her regular spot.

There’s a bit more but this is my best summary of the affidavit in case some aren’t able to view it. Msm will likely report on it soon.

Click to expand...
Your link did work, and I was able to read the full 4 pages.
So, baby was asleep as I suspected, and mom unfortunately assumed someone else took the baby into the church and never checked to be sure. :(
 
MsMarple said:
I don’t know if the bottom link will go directly to the latest arrest affidavit but you can start a search here:

Bulaine Molme
Choose the June 6 affidavit.

Ugh, the baby’s temperature at the hospital was over 108 degrees! Both parents were drug tested and the results were negative for both.

Mother was running late and opened the trunk to get her laptop and bible then went to the passenger side for her robe. Nearby CCTV showed her arriving and the kids getting out and going inside. There was no sign of church members getting the baby or any church members near the car.

A witness stated that it was Haitian Mothers Day and mother arrived between 15 minutes and a half hour late. The witness said he usually helped the mother unload equipment but it’s not clear if he did that day. He was inside the church and saw the older kids but didn’t see the baby but wasn’t concerned as usually church members cared for him/her.

Her husband stated she is a good mother and that typically church members help with the children. The mother was too hysterical to interview initially but when she was able to explained that the baby had fallen asleep in the car.

Mother said she saw the older kids with a church member and assumed the baby was with them as it was the typical routine.

Apart from hyperthermia the baby had no signs of abuse. For some reason the mother chose to park the car off to the side instead of directly in front of the church, which was her regular spot.

There’s a bit more but this is my best summary of the affidavit in case some aren’t able to view it. Msm will likely report on it soon.

Click to expand...
The details of what happened at the mother's arrival to church is chilling, because I can see it playing out as described. Mother arrives almost an hour late, is frazzled, parks in a different spot (Why??), and in the hustle of unloading and getting everyone and everything into the church, a string of assumptions were made. Assumption #1: that what happened every Sunday would still happen, despite being so late (maybe those who would normally take infant were already settled in church?). #2: That as the other 3 children walked in with a church member, the 4th baby was with the adult church member. #3 when she didn't see the infant, she assumed the child was sleeping and not visible because of that. #4 father made same assumption.
My only questions, from the information in the affidavit, is why she didn't see the infant in the vehicle when she got her last load of stuff? And why did she park in a different space?
 
I don’t understand how the mother thought the baby was with someone else when no adult came near her vehicle. That confirms that mom didn’t ask an adult to carry in the baby.
 
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georgiajean said:
The details of what happened at the mother's arrival to church is chilling, because I can see it playing out as described. Mother arrives almost an hour late, is frazzled, parks in a different spot (Why??), and in the hustle of unloading and getting everyone and everything into the church, a string of assumptions were made. Assumption #1: that what happened every Sunday would still happen, despite being so late (maybe those who would normally take infant were already settled in church?). #2: That as the other 3 children walked in with a church member, the 4th baby was with the adult church member. #3 when she didn't see the infant, she assumed the child was sleeping and not visible because of that. #4 father made same assumption.
My only questions, from the information in the affidavit, is why she didn't see the infant in the vehicle when she got her last load of stuff? And why did she park in a different space?
Click to expand...
No other adults were seen around the car though. So, who did she think unbuckled all the baby's seat belts? because I'm assuming the 2 yr. old for sure was in a car seat and the 5 yr. old, I assume, in a booster seat.
 
Been away and have a lot of catching up to do, so I’ve only skimmed this thread.

I have one adult daughter and three grandchildren. I know that no one thinks this could happen to them, and then it does. I’ll still maintain that I don’t believe this could’ve happened to me. Like another poster above, while driving when my daughter was little, or subsequently with any of my grandchildren, I was constantly looking in the rear-view mirror. Are they asleep? Are they playing, are they drinking their bottle, what is that that they are gurgling about, (or when older), what adorable things are they muttering? Are they hot, are they cold? Are they making faces?

Again, I know that it happens. In your case, @Soulmagent, I would speculate that as a new mother, maybe you hadn’t yet routinized having a baby in the car, yet you recovered yourself in five minutes, thank God.

I could only see, in this sad case, if the mother handed the baby off to someone immediately. Otherwise I cannot fathom how she could leave the baby for an instant in a car, in Florida in the spring, without holding her child in her arms until this other person arrived to carry the baby. I couldn’t imagine it even if it weren’t hot weather. What about kidnapping or the child getting hurt somehow?

My daughter is now 41 and my grandkids are 8, 10, and 18. I’ve made plenty of mistakes as a mom but truly don’t understand how this happens.

I’m not ignoring the scientific articles posted by my fellow commenters, but I do have doubts.

I recall two things from when my kids were younger.

One was that no one ever leaves a $100 bill in the windshield because it may not be there when they return. I can’t swear that this is true, but it does make a point about priorities.

The other is the thing about removing your shoe.

It’s certainly not that the shoe matters more than a baby. It’s simply that as you emerge from the car, you’ll be hobbled immediately and know it. If you throw your shoe into the back seat as soon as you’ve put the baby in the car seat, you will absolutely go get it, and hence see your baby, when you park the car.

jmo
 
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