Found Deceased FL - Alejandro Ripley, 9, autistic, Miami-Dade County, May 2020 *mother arrested*

[katydid23]

Your experience and training may also allow you to see very subtle signs that would motivate you to dig deeper than an average person, too. People with average experience and interactions with others are not necessarily predisposed to feel suspicious of others and if those who pulled him from the water only saw a parent who effectively pretended to be distraught, they may not have seen what you, with more information about the situation, see now. The rescuer(s) did not kill Alejandro and regardless of opinion, I do not think it is appropriate to attack them for their actions here.

I totally agree.

 

[LadyL]

Video has been released of her committing the act.

I worked in child welfare for 12 years and it made me sick. I’d unwatch it if I could.

Watch with caution if you need. https://www.univision.com/shows/not...nato-lanzo-a-su-hijo-autista-a-un-canal-video

no words

 

[katydid23]

no words

I can't even watch right now. Too bummed and exhausted from so many other things going on, don't think I could handle it just yet...

 

[LadyL]

I can't even watch right now. Too bummed and exhausted from so many other things going on, don't think I could handle it just yet...

yeah it took me a few minutes

 

[CluelessWonder]

Imagine the police response when someone called them and said that he/she had rescued Alejandro from the water just a short time ago. That person might have been really confused. Whoever it was must have put it all together. I mean, a non-speaking young child in water is rescued and then someone with the same description goes "missing" a short time later and is found in water in the same area. They were a hero for helping. There is no way they could have known what had really happened and that she would do it again. I'm sure that person needs a hug right now.

 

[Lulu14]

One is not supposed to assume anything. They weren't qualified to pass judgement. The police should have been called. The police should have been better equipped to ascertain the facts. The boy was in the water, the mother wasn't getting him out. There's a problem there. They didn't have to see anything that led up to it to think there was a possibility the child was at risk. CPS takes perfectly healthy, uninjured, not at risk children all the time. They take children with minor injuries caused by an accident. They took five children because one of the children fainted because she needed vitamins.

Maybe she just said she could not swim. If a parent does not swim, trying to get help sounds like a logical course of action.

 

[PhoneJockey]

Maybe she just said she could not swim. If a parent does not swim, trying to get help sounds like a logical course of action.

Correct. Now that we've seen the footage of that attempt, we see that it DOES *look* as if she sought help, as she ran back to the water with a rescuer and actually appeared to go into the water or act willing to. She stood with a group of people drying him off afterward and, by all appearances, seemed relieved and thankful for his rescue. they did what they thought was right. They had no idea and they deserve nothing but respect for their attempt to help him. Patricia is the only one to blame for this.

 

[California Sunset]

Video has been released of her committing the act.

I worked in child welfare for 12 years and it made me sick. I’d unwatch it if I could.

Watch with caution if you need. https://www.univision.com/shows/not...nato-lanzo-a-su-hijo-autista-a-un-canal-video

THANK YOU FOR THE WARNING. I'LL PASS THANK YOU.

 

[Sillybilly]

STOP shouting in caps, STOP bickering, and STOP over-alerting or Time Outs will be issued.

Whatever is going on in this thread, we don't have time to review an entire thread right now. Just settle down and a Moderator will get to it as soon as possible.

ETA: Am closing this thread and it will get reviewed tomorrow.

 

[Sillybilly]

I see another Admin did some tidy up in this thread today.

Just remember to be respectful to one another, don't argue, stay on topic in discussing the case, and if you think there is a problem post, please use the Report feature to let us know. We will review it as soon as possible.

Thread is open again.

 

[MissUnderstood]

I understand how hard it is to care for a child with extra needs, but I can’t understand this! This mother threw her son in the water, then watched him get saved. She had time to reassess a sudden mental lapse causing this first attempt. But no, she thinks it out again and follows through again! Nope, sorry, no sympathy or empathy for her at all.
MOO

 

[mickey2942]

I understand how hard it is to care for a child with extra needs, but I can’t understand this! This mother threw her son in the water, then watched him get saved. She had time to reassess a sudden mental lapse causing this first attempt. But no, she thinks it out again and follows through again! Nope, sorry, no sympathy or empathy for her at all.
MOO

Watching the first video, she pushed him, and ran away. There was absolutely no hesitation even.

I don't understand why this child had never been enrolled at the Miami-Dade school district. There was no record of his enrollment.

There are programs for respite care, especially for children who have Autism. And even behavioral specialists who can provide lots of support. I don't buy that language or culture was a problem.

She should take any plea deal offered, because this could be considered Capital murder, death penalty. And, after that video, I would have no problem with voting DP all the way!

 

[PhoneJockey]

Watching the first video, she pushed him, and ran away. There was absolutely no hesitation even.

I don't understand why this child had never been enrolled at the Miami-Dade school district. There was no record of his enrollment.

There are programs for respite care, especially for children who have Autism. And even behavioral specialists who can provide lots of support. I don't buy that language or culture was a problem, because it is easier to find someone who speaks Spanish in Miami than English sometimes.

Yes, and he was a FORMER student of the private special education school. There is no mention of where he was currently enrolled, if anywhere. I'm curious if he was in another private school or if she switched him to home schooling. If she was doing home schooling, she definitely should have been using special interventions to develop care plans, similar to the IEP in public school systems. This would include home visits to ensure the child was safe and cared for, as well as meeting goals.

 

[PhoneJockey]

"Patricia Ripley, 45, faces first degree murder and first degree premeditated attempted murder for the death of her son, 9-year-old Alejandro Ripley.

According to CBS Miami, a law enforcement source said Ripley admitted to thinking about killing her son for some time because as he got older, the more difficult he became to control physically."

Possible motive revealed in autistic boy's murder, mother charged

 

[Eloise]

Yes, and he was a FORMER student of the private special education school. There is no mention of where he was currently enrolled, if anywhere. I'm curious if he was in another private school or if she switched him to home schooling. If she was doing home schooling, she definitely should have been using special interventions to develop care plans, similar to the IEP in public school systems. This would include home visits to ensure the child was safe and cared for, as well as meeting goals.

Agreed, nobody should be able to homeschool a child with special needs without lots of assistance from therapists etc. You can't do it entirely alone, you just can't.

 

[mrsinsyder]

As someone who worked in child welfare in Florida for 12 years... I can tell you, it's not easy to get help. Waiting lists are long. If she throws her hand up and says she can't care for him, the state can arrest both parents and charge them with abandonment, then charge them what it costs for the child to go into foster care. Giving up an older child isn't like safe harbor baby laws where you can leave them and walk away. Institutions have waiting lists that can be years long, and often require a complete exhaustion of other services.

On countless occasions, I had to sit with parents and give them these options. It's not easy for anyone involved. You have to look these desperate parents in the eye and tell them it's the card they've been dealt and they have to figure it out. I've sat with parents who have deadbolts on their door because their child wants to murder them. Families with no furniture because the kids break it all. And there's nothing anyone can do for them.

I am in no way justifying or explaining what she did, I'm just sharing how little options there are for special needs children that can be cared for at home. And in Florida, any kind of safety net services for anyone are a complete joke.

 

[mickey2942]

@mrsinsyder what I have encountered when people are seeking options, is that they don't like the options presented.

Doesn't Florida have the option of turning child into state custody? The problem is that the cost is usually based on income, and that is garnished directly from wages.

It is not cheap.

During the trial, if there is one, I would be interested in what options and agencies this woman contacted for help, before killing her child. Did she ask any family members for help? Seek counseling? Reach out to Autism help agencies?

 

[LietKynes]

Before killing him she could have at least appealed to his father and said she was at the breaking point.
Not blaming him --- but how much did he contribute as far as watching Alejandro and making sure this egg donor wasn't becoming dangerous ?

What about making Alejandro a ward of the state ?
I don't see how the state could penalize a person if they willingly give a child up for adoption.
I'm saying this after reading mrsinsyder's post and I appreciate a viewpoint of someone who has worked with cases in the state system.

Were there no options at all ?
There are people who are willing to adopt special needs children.

Rest in gentle peace, Alejandro !

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Before killing him she could have at least appealed to his father and said she was at the breaking point.
Not blaming him --- but how much did he contribute as far as watching Alejandro and making sure this egg donor wasn't becoming dangerous ?

What about making Alejandro a ward of the state ?
I don't see how the state could penalize a person if they willingly give a child up for adoption.
I'm saying this after reading mrsinsyder's post and I appreciate a viewpoint of someone who has worked with cases in the state system.

Were there no options at all ?
There are people who are willing to adopt special needs children.

Rest in gentle peace, Alejandro !

Remember when there was a state that didn't specify age in its safe haven law (intended for newborns) and people were actually driving in from other states to leave children of all ages?

And I'm sure people are not in line to adopt older children with autism.

But all that said, it was her responsibility to figure something out besides purposely harming him.

What would happen if someone stood in front of the CPS building holding a sign that says, "Help" everyday?

 

[mrsinsyder]

Doesn't Florida have the option of turning child into state custody? The problem is that the cost is usually based on income, and that is garnished directly from wages.

Not really, it's legally considered abandonment for which you can be arrested and you'll be hit with child support until/unless the child is adopted by someone else. In all my years I only saw it done a few times, and it was always when a parent refused to pick the child up after release from juvenile detention.

Florida's child welfare system is something like this, in order of escalation

• No intervention, parents figure out their own options
• Low-level intervention, voluntary services are offered like an in-home therapist. Usually lasts about 60 days.
• Diversion intervention, non-voluntary services in exchange for the child being left in the home versus placed into foster care, with more intensive services. Usually lasts about 6 months, requires that the child be determined as 'unsafe' without intervention.
• Court-ordered in-home services, basically the above but under jurisdiction of the court.
• Court-ordered out-of-home services, child is placed into state custody and detained with a relative caregiver, non-relative caregiver, foster parent, or institution (in that order of placement preference).

There are programs like SIPP (statewide inpatient psychiatric program) - however the waiting lists are extensively long, and they require basically all other options are exhausted first. For most families, this is years and years of doctors reports, other services, etc. Not a quick solution.

Anyway I'm probably giving a lot of information that is uninteresting but I'm happy to answer questions. My time in the field is a big reason I've chosen not to have children... because honestly if I were a parent of a child like this, I couldn't do it.