How did she endanger them? She didn’t leave the in the desert with no water. And they aren’t 5 and 6 year old.
10 and 12? I was riding the three miles to hang out at the mall at that age!
I was way to young to remember, but my sister tells the story of when she was driving with friends, and me in the car and I was being a brat. So she put me out on the side of the road and drove up a hundred feet or so. I think it traumatized her more than me to see her kid brother (probably 5 or so?) crying by the side of the road! (Get to hear that story every Christmas!)
Do you realize a 10 year old is in the 3rd grade? You’d leave a 10 year old child on a city sidewalk alone?
“How did she endanger them?”
Here’s a real case which happened in a shopping mall.
{If an adult who is in charge of children leaves them unattended in the mall, even under that scenario it is possible for them to be charged with child abandonment/endanderment.
Not talking about children accidentially getting seperated from parents and everyone trying to find the parents or children - depending on which ones are reported missing first.}
But in this case three young girls - one a little older than the two very young ones - were left alone in a children’s play area while the mother shopped the mall without having to bother with them.
A security officer reported them unattended. A supervisor came to the location and talked with the girls. He then called the local police department.
They couldn’t send someone right away. The superv waited and waited with the girls until, eventually, the mother returned before the cop could get there.
Turns out the woman had previously been a cop herself. The superv talked with her and warned her severely how close she came to being charged with a crime. She even acted upset with herself and said she knew better than what she had done and wouldn’t do it again.
Now ask yourself...what could happen to the girls in a shopping mall of all things??
There are several possible scenarios.
They could have wandered outside and something unfortunate could have befallen them.
They could have gone into a store or shop, seen something irresistible and taken it, whether caught or not.
One of them could have suddendly taken ill, with no adult to take charge.
One of them could have gotten injured playing unsupervised (by the mom) in the play area.
They could have wandered the mall in a frantic attempt to locate her after feeling alone for too long.
They could have been lured by a pedophile to go with him somewhere.
They could have been lured by kidnappers working for a child porn/sex ring.
They could have been taken by a non-custodial parent or grandparent.
Think about it.
Ten and twelve notwithstanding, they were her legal responsibility and she was culpable for failing to take reasonable measures to secure their safety and well-being.
Your own scenario that she didn’t leave them in a desert is a far cry from what the law is.
Her actions were against the law as it stands.
endanderment = endangerment