GUILTY CT - Benjamin Seitz, 15 mos, dies in hot car, Ridgefield, 7 July 2014

[believe09]

Does boyfriend honestly believe that this is acceptable? That they are too heavy to carry so leave them in the locked car while you run in? . Is this the case where passerbys persuaded the 4 year old to open the car doors?

Good Lord. I found a newborn in a locked car once when it was below freezing outside. The baby's knitted cap had fallen over its nose and mouth and it was wheezing out those little kitten newborn cries. LE showed up and had the nearest retail store page the owner of the car 3 times-just as they were about to break the window, she ran out of the fitting room. Same story, 3 week old was sleeping mom didn't want to disturb the baby by bringing it inside.

I ended up in criminal court as a witness and I testified before the judge. Mom had herself admitted to a psych hospital for PPD the night before the first appearance. Baby was her 5th child and they were very affluent. Dad was a surgeon and he was horrified when PD showed up at his door with DCF and his wife in the back of a cruiser. Mind you this was a long time ago, and the judge still gave her a year suspended. They had an open DCF case for that time frame and Mom had to continue her mental health treatment. Pretty stiff sentence for those days...

Police are losing patience. A mom just got handcuffed for leaving her kids in the car.

http://www.10news.com/news/mom-handcuffed-after-leaving-kids-in-hot-car-071014

 

[Sassygerl]

Before I say what I'm going to let me just say that I do realize some SIDS cases are legit, but this leaving kids in a hot car seems to becoming todays SIDS. For the life of me I don't understand how ANYone could forget their child is IN the car. I have 3 boys and when they were little (even with just one in the car...in a baby carseat) I was always talking to them. Kids talk nonstop in the car pointing out all kinds of things along the drive. So to me there is constant interaction, unless of course you're taking a road trip or it's during nap time/bed time when kids will fall asleep.

I agree....if you need to put a shoe or diaper bag as a reminder YOUR child is with YOU then there's a huge problem there IMO. We are seeing more and more of these cases....I rarely remember cases like these years back. If so, it was kids who were out playing and somehow locked themselves in the car or trunk while out playing....very tragic. None of this, "oh I forgot my child was even IN the car with ME. SMH. MOO

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

I like the way her boyfriend - who wasn't even there, takes offence and says the babies are 'doing okay' - doesn't give any credit to the police who got them out of the hot car.

I'm with you Zwiebel! ..he was totally making excuses for her!...."the kids were asleep, it's easier to leave them in the car than to lug a really big 9 month old and 4 year old.....she was gone too long....an error in judgement" blah blah blah. idiots.

 

[BunnyHop]

They kept this story pretty quiet for days. I just don't get it.
He supposedly stopped for coffee and went for lunch. That poor baby was in that car all day.

I hope the parents are arrested for neglect, but then again this is an affluent town. It's also a long ride to Danbury Hospital from Ridgefield. I can't imagine why he didn't call 911.

I am furious--that anyone would leave a child in a car like this!!!



Police Identify Victim, Circumstances Around Ridgefield Baby's Death

Ridgefield police released the name of the young boy who died after being left in a hot car Monday and a few details about what happened.

http://guardianlv.com/2014/07/hot-car-claims-another-life-after-dad-forgets-to-drop-off-child/

 

[BunnyHop]

Benjamin died in a hot car last Monday after he "was supposed to be dropped off at a day-care facility in Ridgefield by his father," Ridgefield Police Capt. Jeff Kreitz said last week. But "the father did not drop off his son" and went to his office at 38A Grove St. in Ridgefield with the child still in the car, Kreitz said.

It was not clear how long the toddler was in the car, he said. The father took the child directly to Danbury Hospital late Monday afternoon when he found him in the car at the end of his workday, Kreitz said.

The cause of death is still listed as pending at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, police said.

"Ridgefield detectives are still conducting interviews to ascertain the exact amount of time the 15-month-old was left in the vehicle," Kreitz said in an email Wednesday.

Temperatures soared to nearly 90 degrees with high humidity in Ridgefield on the day the child died.

http://ridgefield.dailyvoice.com/news/services-held-ridgefield-toddler-who-died-hot-car

About 100 people gathered Sunday afternoon for a "celebration" of the life of 15-month-old Benjamin Seitz, who died last week after being left in a hot car all day.

The service, which was closed to the media, began at 3 p.m. at Jesse Lee Memorial United Methodist Church in Ridgefield and lasted approximately an hour. A reception followed at the church.

As requested in Seitz's obituary, published Friday, most attendees wore casual clothes in light colors rather than black.

Attendees were also asked to bring balls -- Benjamin's favorite toy, according to his obituary -- for donation to the Healing Hearts Center for Grieving Children and Families.

Two police cars were stationed at the north edge of the church parking lot, directing traffic and watching passers-by on the sidewalk that bisects the church lawn.

Benjamin died Monday after being left in the car all day by his father, Kyle Seitz. Police have had little to say about the case, including whether his father could be charged with a crime, until the medical examiner has determined the cause of death.

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Many-gather-to-pay-respects-to-toddler-Seitz-on-5619107.php

 

[BunnyHop]

Bumping for Benjamin

 

[BunnyHop]

I want to know why this is so "hush-hush". This child was in that car all day.
Why no charges???? Where was the mother?

 

[BunnyHop]

Ridgefield Police have been unusually cautious in telling the public much of anything about the sad incident. They released the boy's name and that he was in the car "for an extended period of time" and that's about it. Police even refused to release the father's name, which is futile -- and unnecessary -- to keep secret.

Ridgefield has, for the most part, shown support for Kyle Seitz and his family. About 100 people attended the funeral service Sunday. Nearly 100 comments were made in one thread alone on the Facebook page for current and former residents or those with strong connections to the town.


http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Ridgefield-police-must-provide-community-5623938.php

Interesting comments BTW

 

[Isabelle]

OMG! These people really need to focus on priorities. No excuses!

 

[BunnyHop]

OMG! These people really need to focus on priorities. No excuses!

It's very bizarre. IMO

 

[Hejlena]

Wait-he went to lunch with-I'm sorry-a dead or dying baby in the backseat on a 90 degree day and never smelled a thing? Why isn't he in jail this moment?

 

[BunnyHop]

Wait-he went to lunch with-I'm sorry-a dead or dying baby in the backseat on a 90 degree day and never smelled a thing? Why isn't he in jail this moment?

It's being kept hush-hush.

Sources have told Hearst Connecticut Media that Kyle Seitz did not realize his son had been in the car all day until he went to the day care center at the end of the workday. He then drove immediately to Danbury Hospital, without calling 911, and Benjamin was pronounced dead about 6 p.m. at the hospital.

Police have been tight-lipped about the case and have refused to discuss potential criminal charges. But some commenters on the Facebook page suggested charges might be appropriate.

"I'm sorry to say this, but multiple mistakes were made," one commenter wrote. "Various law enforcement agencies need to investigate, and Department of Children and Families as well. Yes, it's a tragedy. But let's be honest with each other about what happened, and what needs to happen."

"It's so easy to condemn," another writer responded. "I am sure that the father is being far harder on himself than you were on him. There is no need to pile on and condemn a family which is suffering tremendously."

That view was echoed by many commenters.

"I have 5 kids," one said. "Whereas I could never imagine it happening to me, I am honest enough to say, that it's possible."

"Can't agree on that one," responded the next commenter. "I also have five children and NEVER once did I leave them alone in a car for any reason. With all the publicity about this lately you would think parents would be even more in touch with this sort of thing. I feel sadness for all those involved but you just don't take it upon yourself to drive an obviously sick child to a hospital 30 minutes away. This sickens me."

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Ridgefield-mourns-debates-death-of-toddler-5616685.php

Kyle Seitz of Ridgefield was expected to drop his son, Benjamin, off at a daycare the morning of the baby's death but instead forgot and drove straight to a coffee shop before work, sources told the Connecticut Post.

Incredibly, Seitz allegedly returned to his baking car in the middle of the day to go out for lunch, but never realized his young son was still strapped in the back.

Meanwhile temperatures rose to 87 degrees outside, CBS Connecticut reported — likely intensifying the temperatures inside.

It was only when Seitz left work again later that day, allegedly to pick up his son at daycare, that a source told the paper that the father realized the grave mistake he had made.

Instead of calling 911 he drove straight to Danbury Hospital with the body of his son in the backseat.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...hot-car-death-article-1.1861005#ixzz37vdPbH1q

 

[katilac]

not popular opinion, but.....
i find it impossible for anyone to ever [legitimately] forget a child in a car. just completely forget of their existence. if they need something to remind them they have a child in their presence - then maybe they should not have a child in their care.

Obligatory link to the famed Fatal Distraction article below. Some experts theorize that it is not forgetting, but 'misremembering,' - that is, in your mind, the baby is safe at daycare, so even if you think of him or talk about him during the day, you don't suddenly remember he is in the car. Rear facing baby seats and a change in routine are the biggest factors, iirc. In certain cases, I find this plausible, although I of course do think parents need to be thinking of ways to make sure it never happens to them.

My babies were always in sight of my rear view mirror. If that had been impossible for some reason, I would have bought another mirror.

Linky: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...e0fe3a-f580-11e3-a3a5-42be35962a52_story.html

 

[inthedark14]

I am saying this with zero snark, but why is the death of this child not receiving the same outrage and attention of the little boy who died in Georgia?

Please don't throw tomatoes, I'm honestly curious.

 

[EvilSoup]

I am saying this with zero snark, but why is the death of this child not receiving the same outrage and attention of the little boy who died in Georgia?

Please don't throw tomatoes, I'm honestly curious.

Me too. There are DOZENS of these cases which is SHOCKING. How is that even possible? Oh! Yeah. Intentional. I call bullspit on "accident".

 

[BunnyHop]

I am saying this with zero snark, but why is the death of this child not receiving the same outrage and attention of the little boy who died in Georgia?

Please don't throw tomatoes, I'm honestly curious.

I'm curious too!

 

[jnTexas]

I hope the lack of charges in this case do not effect the Harris case....I also hoe to see charged brought soon in this one.

 

[Lovejac]

I am saying this with zero snark, but why is the death of this child not receiving the same outrage and attention of the little boy who died in Georgia?

Please don't throw tomatoes, I'm honestly curious.

I'm wondering the exact same thing. No tomatoes from me

 

[Lovejac]

I'm just a little miffed by the lack of coverage by the media.

No news articles since July 14

 

[thepinkdragon]

Went to lunch with his dead son in the car.

http://m.newstimes.com/local/article/Toddler-who-died-in-car-identified-5610399.php

What is this awful trend IT guys are setting? Who forgets their child that they drop off every day and goes to lunch with the corpse of their child and not notice? Did this guy and Ross Harris plan this crap together online? Ugh MOO I just want to have a breakdown and take a vacation.