NV - Pair who left sons may face charges

[golfmom]

So he can build himself a $700,000 dream home, but can't find anyone to watch the kids.


http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/13563254.htm

Jacob Calero, one of six siblings who stem from a prominent Filipino family, grew up in the South Bay and in Fremont, where he attended Washington High School and began working in the plumbing department of an Orchard Supply Hardware store. He's made a good income in his plumbing career.
Last year, he built a three-story, $700,000 dream home in San Ramon, his sister said. His family often traveled back and forth to the Philippines. That's where he met his first wife, marrying her when he was 27.
But when she was diagnosed with cancer, Jacob had to find help to take care of his sons. For a time, a couple lived with the family and looked after Joshua and Jason.
It became more difficult after she died and Calero remarried. The family moved from Tracy to San Ramon and left their friends and nannies behind.
They hired one nanny who quit this fall after she decided she couldn't handle the younger son because of his autism.
``I told my brother, you have to take off work to find child care for those boys,'' Black said. ``There were some red flags with me when it came to the children.''

 

[IdahoMom]

Great! The boys already lost their Mom, now their Dad's probably going to jail!

Doesn't ANYONE feel protective of their children anymore?:doh:

 

[SewingDeb]

Did anyone listen at the video link (I didn't get the picture) to the interview with the older boy? It will break your heart. He will be his dad's worst nightmare in court if he testifies.

 

[SewingDeb]

In the interview with Joshua it is revealed that this is not the first time the boys have been left at home for extended periods of time. Also, they spend every Saturday alone because their dad and their stepmother have to work.

 

[golfmom]

I am not taking up for these 's. But I do have a question. Bail was denied for them. But bail is routinely granted for murderers or sex offenders if they can come up with the money. What is the reasoning?

Myst, bail wasn't denied. They had requested that it be lowered, which the judge refused. :blowkiss:

 

[golfmom]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/07/BAGFNGJLMC1.DTL

Contra Costa County prosecutors will have to do a lot more than paint the San Ramon couple who took off for Las Vegas and left their children unattended as bad parents to convict them of felony child endangerment.

Before Jacob Calero and Michelle De La Vega are subjected to prison sentences of up to six years, a jury must find that they knew, while they were spending a long New Year's weekend in Las Vegas, that their 10- and 5-year-old boys were at risk of dying or being seriously injured back home.

It's a formidable task, at least on paper. Felony child endangerment charges normally are difficult to prove when a child has suffered no injuries, said Linda Klee, a San Francisco prosecutor who is chief of administration for District Attorney Kamala Harris.

..............


Ciment, the defense lawyer, said parenting classes were mandatory after convictions for endangerment and usually made more sense than prison for parents who hadn't shown a pattern of abuse.

There's a legitimate distinction, he said, "between parents who beat the kid maliciously, causing harm, and someone who does something incredibly stupid.'' But in the San Ramon case, he said, "with the level of neglect (that authorities allege), I don't see how they could not charge it as a felony.''

 

[Mygirlsadie]

I feel so bad for these little boys.I am happy now though that hopefully they won't have to live with these two morons. It's a mothers worst nightmare to think if we get sick and die that our children may have to endure abuse and neglect at the hands of a step-mother. It scares me. I have witnessed it first hand with a neighbor we had before. She helped her new hubby fight for custody of his son they won custody and she more or less mentally and physically abused the boy from age 2 it wasnt really bad until she started having her own kids. Yes CPS and other agencies were called but her and her stupid husband are con artists somehow they get away with everything. I asked her one time why not give him back to his mother who did want custody of him and did love him her reply ''I won't give that a penny of my money''..(referring to child support). I'm glad we moved in one way but in another way I wonder whatever happened to him.

This is just terrible!
This woman sounds like a spoiled brat.
It sounds as if she's jealous of the kids, too.
Probably some woman who's starved for love, attention, materialistic things, and money. And like others have written, doesn't want to be bothered with kids. Especially another woman's kids.

Those poor kids. And that blind man. That man must be so blinded by "love". He's letting this thing of a "woman" control his life now. His kids are probably feeling so unloved, missing their mother. I can only imagine what they are feeling and going through. Maybe feeling lost and lonely, unloved.
Terrible.

She's definitely a wicked step-mother.

 

[SewingDeb]

I feel so bad for these little boys.I am happy now though that hopefully they won't have to live with these two morons. It's a mothers worst nightmare to think if we get sick and die that our children may have to endure abuse and neglect at the hands of a step-mother. It scares me. I have witnessed it first hand with a neighbor we had before. She helped her new hubby fight for custody of his son they won custody and she more or less mentally and physically abused the boy from age 2 it wasnt really bad until she started having her own kids. Yes CPS and other agencies were called but her and her stupid husband are con artists somehow they get away with everything. I asked her one time why not give him back to his mother who did want custody of him and did love him her reply ''I won't give that a penny of my money''..(referring to child support). I'm glad we moved in one way but in another way I wonder whatever happened to him.

That is so sad. I've seen where a new stepmother convinced the father to go after custody of his teen daughter and preteen son, after she had a toddler and a baby. Turned out she just wanted a free babysitter and to get child support rather than pay it out. She was emotionally abusive to the older boy (from the first marriage) and he ended up in therapy. Of course she is now long gone---her next husband is a multimillionaire, but luckily they don't have any children.

 

[Mr. E]

With all the horrible wicked stepmother stories being told, don't forget that the boys' natural blood father also made the decision to leave the children alone. I don't know if the stepmother has any children of her own, but he had ten years of parenthood under his belt and should have known better.

Did anybody else hear her say that she shouldn't be held as responsible as the father because she wasn't their real mother?? How terrible that someone would enter into a marriage, knowing there were children involved, and not consider herself their mother. Better not to get married at all than to take the mothering of those children so lightly.

 

[Ang50]

I predict no prison time for these people. With a home like that, they have the $$ to hire great lawyers, and they will plead out to a misdemeanor fine, maybe some supervision, etc. Kids will definitely be returned to them - and social services told to stop in occasionally.

Good for the judge, though, on not lowering bail!

 

[SewingDeb]

I predict no prison time for these people. With a home like that, they have the $$ to hire great lawyers, and they will plead out to a misdemeanor fine, maybe some supervision, etc. Kids will definitely be returned to them - and social services told to stop in occasionally.

Good for the judge, though, on not lowering bail!

I'm afraid you will be proven correct. If they lose the children at all, it will only be temporarily. Such a shame.

 

[mysteriew]

I predict no prison time for these people. With a home like that, they have the $$ to hire great lawyers, and they will plead out to a misdemeanor fine, maybe some supervision, etc. Kids will definitely be returned to them - and social services told to stop in occasionally.

Good for the judge, though, on not lowering bail!

Yes, and the prosecutor certainly seems to be trying to prepare people for that possibility in her statements. But I found the defense statements very interesting in this case.

Ciment, the defense lawyer, said parenting classes were mandatory after convictions for endangerment and usually made more sense than prison for parents who hadn't shown a pattern of abuse.

There's a legitimate distinction, he said, "between parents who beat the kid maliciously, causing harm, and someone who does something incredibly stupid.'' But in the San Ramon case, he said, "with the level of neglect (that authorities allege), I don't see how they could not charge it as a felony.''

 

[SewingDeb]

I hope their pattern of leaving these boys alone plays into this. I don't think parenting classes are going to cut it when a couple is this selfish.

 

[Ang50]

Yes, and the prosecutor certainly seems to be trying to prepare people for that possibility in her statements. But I found the defense statements very interesting in this case.

I went back and looked at this - the defense lawyer quoted is A defense lawyer, not THEIR defense lawyer.

But it made me think of something else - in WI at least, there's two types of proceedings - a civil and a criminal for this type of situation. The civil one puts the kids under some type of protective order, and determines if the kids should be in or out of the home. The criminal one - which would be the felony child endangerment charge - sorry, but I just don't see it sticking. In fact, I don't think I've seen it used in WI much at all, unless you're talking about a real extreme situation or left a very young child alone.

 

[LinasK]

I went back and looked at this - the defense lawyer quoted is A defense lawyer, not THEIR defense lawyer.

But it made me think of something else - in WI at least, there's two types of proceedings - a civil and a criminal for this type of situation. The civil one puts the kids under some type of protective order, and determines if the kids should be in or out of the home. The criminal one - which would be the felony child endangerment charge - sorry, but I just don't see it sticking. In fact, I don't think I've seen it used in WI much at all, unless you're talking about a real extreme situation or left a very young child alone.

This was an extreme situation, the younger son was only 5 and autistic, his brother had left him a couple of times, the parents were gone for 5 days, the front door locked, and the father didn't even answer his cell phone when the police called. Took him two days to return the call. What if a fire had started?:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: There was one going in the fire place...

 

[concernedperson]

This was an extreme situation, the younger son was only 5 and autistic, his brother had left him a couple of times, the parents were gone for 5 days, the front door locked, and the father didn't even answer his cell phone when the police called. Took him two days to return the call. What if a fire had started?:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: There was one going in the fire place...

Your heartfelt responses are noted.We only can conclude that some will be left for their own resources that parenting is a skill lost on many.I am glad you are a survivor and that you are here to share with us.

 

[Ang50]

This was an extreme situation, the younger son was only 5 and autistic, his brother had left him a couple of times, the parents were gone for 5 days, the front door locked, and the father didn't even answer his cell phone when the police called. Took him two days to return the call. What if a fire had started?:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: There was one going in the fire place...

I guess it's just my perspective - I don't know where in CA this happened, but I saw a heck of a lot worse in Milwaukee, and felony child endangerment was rarely charged. Much younger children, no food in the home, sub-par housing conditions, dangerous neighborhood - mostly left for a number of days b/c mom/dad was out on a drug binge. I saw a lot of reports where social workers went to a home, and the oldest kid would say mom hadn't been around for a few days, there were 2-3 or more kids in home (under school-age), and no cell phone to reach mom if something would happen. No criminal charges in those situations. Maybe a criminal neglect charge...

Oh, another WI situation - a woman running a home daycare left 4 kids in the care of a known sex offender - that wasn't child endangerment per the DA's office.

Now, I'll give you that I think these parents are far worse, b/c they're educated, wealthy, and made a concious decision not based on addiction. And those will be the same factors, along with a good lawyer, that will likely lead to a plea deal down to some kind of misdemeanor. Or jury acquittal b/c a good lawyer will say - The parents thought the 9 year old was responsible enough, we would have flown straight home, and you can't send someone to prison just b/c they left the kids at home - it's not like they abused them or hurt them. Actually, I applaud all the publicity on this, b/c I think it will have more impact on the parents than what the criminal justice system will.

 

[LinasK]

Your heartfelt responses are noted.We only can conclude that some will be left for their own resources that parenting is a skill lost on many.I am glad you are a survivor and that you are here to share with us.

Welcome back concernedperson, you were missed...:clap:

 

[LinasK]

I guess it's just my perspective - I don't know where in CA this happened, but I saw a heck of a lot worse in Milwaukee, and felony child endangerment was rarely charged. Much younger children, no food in the home, sub-par housing conditions, dangerous neighborhood - mostly left for a number of days b/c mom/dad was out on a drug binge. I saw a lot of reports where social workers went to a home, and the oldest kid would say mom hadn't been around for a few days, there were 2-3 or more kids in home (under school-age), and no cell phone to reach mom if something would happen. No criminal charges in those situations. Maybe a criminal neglect charge...

Oh, another WI situation - a woman running a home daycare left 4 kids in the care of a known sex offender - that wasn't child endangerment per the DA's office.

Now, I'll give you that I think these parents are far worse, b/c they're educated, wealthy, and made a concious decision not based on addiction. And those will be the same factors, along with a good lawyer, that will likely lead to a plea deal down to some kind of misdemeanor. Or jury acquittal b/c a good lawyer will say - The parents thought the 9 year old was responsible enough, we would have flown straight home, and you can't send someone to prison just b/c they left the kids at home - it's not like they abused them or hurt them. Actually, I applaud all the publicity on this, b/c I think it will have more impact on the parents than what the criminal justice system will.

Granted those situations are bad too, but a fire is an immediate situation. The father is a plummer, I wouldn't consider him well-educated, just that between the two of them they were able to buy a home in an expensive, new neighborhood (but you don't know their loan situation or if they can really afford it...). These parents didn't fly straight home. The police called them Sat. night, they talked to the police on Tues. and still didn't fly home until Weds. Couldn't they have rented a car and driven back??? Also apparently the parents have a habit of leaving the kids alone every Saturday while they work. This is neglect. The father's own sister called him irresponsible and said he places his own needs first. If the step-mother didn't feel the kids were her responsibility, apparently noone did. These two people don't deserve to own puppies, the way they take care of kids!!!:furious:

You asked where in CA this happened. In the San Francisco Bay Area, not far from where I live.

 

[Ang50]

I've read through all the linked news coverage, and haven't seen anything about a fire in the fireplace. We must be talking about a gas fireplace turned on and off by a switch, and not wood b/c then we would have to assume that the 10 year old built it, I guess. Either way, it's not likely that the parents can be implicated just b/c there's a fireplace in the home, and the 10 year old might know to turn on a switch (or even build one) - that won't qualify as disregard for human life.

I stated the parents were educated - I knew one was a dentist (post college - 4 year degree) and plumbing in WI is at least a few years apprenticeship. Maybe I should have qualified the stmt by saying they weren't HS dropouts.

Don't take this as trying to argue the moral stance for these parents - I'm simply saying that in court, with the ways the evidence and the law would be put together, it doesn't seem likely that these charges will stick.