Found Deceased TX - Sarbesh Gurung, 2, Denton, 2 July, 2019

[justme11]

Are 2 year olds able to open the car door of an SUV from the outside?

Open and shut the door. There's no way mine could have at that age.

 

[HayLouise]

Open and shut the door. There's no way mine could have at that age.

My 3 year old is very able, but does struggle with the car door and the weight of it, and I drive a car much smaller than an SUV.

ETA - not trying to cause speculation at all

 

[PommyMommy]

Are 2 year olds able to open the car door of an SUV from the outside?

A couple of years ago there was another case in Texas where two toddlers, one 2-years-old and the other 16-months, died in a vehicle and the mother claimed they got into the vehicle themselves. When LE questioned how a 2-year-old could open a car door, she changed her story.

I honestly don't believe from what we know at this point that SG's death is anything other than a tragic accident (opinion subject to change), but this question nags at me. MOO

2 Texas children die in hot car - CNN

Mom who left kids in hot car to "teach them a lesson" gets max sentence in their deaths - CBS News

 

[oceanverde]

It was a neighbor's vehicle. Not the family vehicle. Officials find body of missing Denton boy in vehicle, police say

 

[blue22]

This article says it was a neighbor getting into "their" car. To me it says that is not the family's vehicle? Confusing:
Officials find body of missing Denton boy in vehicle, police say

Bad reporting. LE said in the presser that another family found him when getting into their personal vehicle.

ETA: they have updated the article. "DENTON, Texas — Note: Story updated to note the vehicle belonged to a neighbor in the area."

 

[justme11]

My 3 year old is very able, but does struggle with the car door and the weight of it, and I drive a car much smaller than an SUV.

Right. We had a mini van and an Explorer back then which are tall. I would think most vehicle doors are heavy for a child that age. Even just getting it open enough to climb in, I can't picture a child being able to close the door without falling out.

Maybe someone had gotten things out of the SUV groceries, etc and couldn't shut the door. Maybe they went back out later to close it without knowing he was in there. MOO

 

[Luckyzmom]

NBC DFW‏Verified account @NBCDFW

"We don’t know if the car was unlocked, we just don’t know" Denton PD Chief Frank Dixon said after 2-year-old Sarbesh Gurung was found in his family's SUV. http://on.nbcdfw.com/BRJTB6p

(Video)

NBC DFW on Twitter

If he got in on his own it wasn',t locked or someone locked it up not knowing he was in there
Awful. Such a shame. Prayers for his heartbroken family

 

[justme11]

My heart breaks for the family, LE, the searchers and the people who own that vehicle. I can't even imagine how they're feeling.

 

[HIM_Darling]

The doors on that SUV look barely higher than the little car next to it. And I've known kids that age that can open the car, climb into their car seat and buckle themselves in. Some kids are more advanced than others, stronger, taller, etc.

 

[sloane7777]

I'm having an issue with 2 things , he was down for a nap when he went missing , neither of my 2 year olds could put on their shoes ( unless he was napping with them on ) OR open and shut a car door alone .

 

[PommyMommy]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=377798362867290

 

[ludakristen]

This is just horrible. Poor kid, poor family.

 

[blue22]

I'm having an issue with 2 things , he was down for a nap when he went missing , neither of my 2 year olds could put on their shoes ( unless he was napping with them on ) OR open and shut a car door alone .

Mine couldn't even open my sedan door. The door part bugs me, as well. LE's demeanor really makes me think this was an accident...but a real investigation hasn't happened. I don't know. I feel it's weird, but they seemed sure. We'll see.

 

[peace9274]

I’ve had SUVs where the doors are very difficult to open & shut.

I rent SUVs several times a yr when traveling. The ones I’ve rented lately: From the outside, you barely have to pull the handle and it automatically finishes opening & closing on its own. Same with opening & closing from the inside.

My 3 yr old and 5 yr old grandchildren can open & close the newer models easily. I’m not sure if they could have when they were 2 yo. (I was too busy making sure I was holding their hands, for fear of them running into the streets.)

 

[dyannaON]

Oh man. Someone on one of the first posts called this outcome or fear. Soooo sad.
Embracing everyone with comfort and love. So unfair.

 

[sloane7777]

Right. We had a mini van and an Explorer back then which are tall. I would think most vehicle doors are heavy for a child that age. Even just getting it open enough to climb in, I can't picture a child being able to close the door without falling out.

Maybe someone had gotten things out of the SUV groceries, etc and couldn't shut the door. Maybe they went back out later to close it without knowing he was in there. MOO

BBM this makes sense to me , but the shoe part bothers me .

 

[Suglo]

Open and shut the door. There's no way mine could have at that age.

My daughter opened the door to my Toyota Celica when she was one month shy of turning two. She and her friend who was also about to turn two jumped in the car and promptly locked the doors with my keys in the ignition. It was 103 degrees outside that day. The boy’s father used a wire hanger to open the lock because the kids wouldn’t unlock it for us. This all took about 3 minutes. We were planning on breaking the back window if it didn’t work. This was a two door Celica so the doors were extra long and heavy. It can happen. Unfortunately.

 

[peace9274]

DBM

 

[sloane7777]

Mine couldn't even open my sedan door. The door part bugs me, as well. LE's demeanor really makes me think this was an accident...but a real investigation hasn't happened. I don't know. I feel it's weird, but they seemed sure. We'll see.

Thanks, I feel a little weird on this too, does anyone know how far he had to go to get into the neighbors car? and I wonder what floor they live on ?

 

[oviedo]

Mine couldn't even open my sedan door. The door part bugs me, as well. LE's demeanor really makes me think this was an accident...but a real investigation hasn't happened. I don't know. I feel it's weird, but they seemed sure. We'll see.

I'm struggling with the child opening the door as well - I suppose they could dust the car for fingerprints and put the issue to rest once and for all? IMO it should be treated as a crime scene until ruled otherwise.