[Southsider2k12]

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...;ArticleID=1896

Five Children Left In Car, CPS Slated To Investigate
Temperature outside was 95 degrees, police say; siblings unharmed.

Deborah Sederberg
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY -A police officer was assisted by a passersby who donated bottles of water to help cool five children as he was transferring them from their mother's car in the Wal-Mart parking lot to his air-conditioned patrol car.

According to a police report, authorities received a call at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday from someone who was concerned for the well-being of five children locked in a hot car.

When the officer arrived he found a 5-year-old girl, two boys, ages 2 and 3, and two 3-month-old girls in the car parked in the sun.

According to the report, the little girl was kneeling in the front seat of a green Oldsmobile and perspiring profusely while her brothers were seated in the back, along with the twins, who were in car seats.

The report indicates the outside temperature was 95 degrees and when the officer stuck his hand into the car through the sun roof, he found it to be stifling.

The 5-year-old told police her mom said the children could not go into the store because the mother would need a whole shopping cart to transport the children in the store and then she would need a second one for merchandise.

As the officer was about to transport the children to the police department, the mother returned and said she had left the children for just "a few minutes."

The officer said it had been closer to 30 minutes.

Police reported the incident to Child Protective Services and a case manager took the children into custody to be placed in foster care - at least until the report can be reviewed on Monday.

[mcstumper]

It would have been a much happier ending had the police officer accidentally (and repeatedly) run the mother over while transporting the children to the police station.

Oops, did I type that out loud.

[Roger Kaputnik]

How can someone be this stupid and uncaring? Leave HER in a car all closed up, and she will be whimpering right away, I bet.

[Southsider2k12]

The mom has been arrested...

http://thenewsdispatch.com/main.asp?Sectio...amp;TM=46234.27

Mother Who Left Children In Car Arrested

Georgette Senter
The News-Dispatch

MICHIGAN CITY - The 21-year-old mother who left her five children to bake in a car while shopping at Wal-Mart on Sunday was arrested Wednesday afternoon by Michigan City police.

On Tuesday, following a review of the investigation by the LaPorte County prosecutor's office, a warrant was issued by Superior Court 4 Judge William Boklund.

Latoya Witt, 124 Phillips St., was charged with one count of neglect of a dependent.

According to the LaPorte County prosecutor's office in Michigan City, a Michigan City police officer discovered the children, a 5-year-old girl, 2- and 3-year-old boys, and two 3-month old girls, locked in a car parked in the Wal-Mart parking lot, 4301 Franklin St., when the temperature was 95 degrees.

The officer was assisted by passersby who donated bottles of water to help the children cool as he transferred them from Witt's 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass to his air-conditioned patrol car.

Michigan City police received a call around 6:30 p.m. from someone who was concerned for the well-being of the five children locked in the hot car.

"The little girl was kneeling in the front seat of a green Oldsmobile and perspiring profusely while her brothers were seated in the back, along with the twins, who were in car seats," the reporting officer said.

He added that the outside temperature was 95 degrees and when he stuck his hand into the car through the slightly opened sun roof, he found it to be stifling.

The 5-year-old told police her mom said the children could not go into the store because the mother would need a whole shopping cart to transport the children in the store and then she would need a second one for merchandise.

As the officer was about to transport the children to the police department, the mother returned and said she had left the children for just "a few minutes." The officer said it had been closer to 30 minutes.

According to Capt. Tom Howe of the Michigan City Police Department's Detective Bureau, the children were turned over to Child Protective Services, where they remain.

Contact Georgette Senter at gsenter@thenewsdispatch.com.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Where to begin? This biological mother started having these babies when she was just 15. Did she have parents? Aunts? Uncles? Grandparents? Friends? Or was she raised up believing that this kind of thing is just fine? Who does she rely on to support those kids? Where are the fathers? This is the logical conclusion of the unconscious-of-a-conscience mentality. Those poor kids, and I include this kid-mother, too.

[RedDevilMC]

This is becoming more common and prevalent in Michigan City (young mothers). My nephew will be a senior, he said there were more students as parents than not. He said it's a big daycare center at the high school. Crazy but a true reality. I don't think the mother should be locked up. I believe she needs some parenting classes and someone to talk to about her situation. I know it's wrong what she did but she may have thought that was the right thing to do in some warped way. Remember: Babies having babies and she has 5 to deal with.

[Ang]

I agree with Angie, but common sense tells a person not to leave children locked in a car when it's hot and humid. I don't care how old you are. She could've had a friend sit with her kids, or ask the friend to go to the store for her. Even take a friend and let them sit in the car with the kids so the windows could be open or the car running with AC on. So many options that would be just as easy as what she chose to do. Now she's lost her children--all over a quick trip to Wal-Mart. I'm sure that CPS will inspect her home and living conditions. I hope that they are decent, but thinking of a person that young with so many children, I kind of doubt it is. Despite her stupidity, at least the children ended up safe with no serious health problems. Thank God for the Good Samaritan who called the police.

[Roger Kaputnik]

Where is the instruction on what is proper? Does anyone hear that lesson any more? What if we gave the girls nickels and let them know that if they hold one between their knees that the pregnancy rate will decline?

[Ang]

When I was taught that lesson, it was an asprin. My dad put it to me like this: You don't need no birth control pill, all you need is an asprin. Hold it between your knees, never let it fall, and you're guaranteed to never get pregnant--or catch any sexual diseases for that matter.

[Max Main]

When anything goes, anything can happen!