Posted on 09/04/2007 5:53:18 PM PDT by Kimmers
Homeless mother charged with neglect
Sep 4, 2007 05:29 PM EDT
Homeless mother arrested
Marion County - Two young homeless children are now in protective custody after police found them living in a car. Their mother is in jail. Police say she put up a huge fight after her teenage son ran for help. Investigators suspect they traveled cross country, homeless, all the way from Oregon to Indianapolis.
Carrie Paxton, 50, and her two children called a Chrysler LHS home. Indianapolis Metro Police say a young girl, her 13-year-old brother and Paxton lived inside the car for weeks. The condition of the car shocked officers.
"The back seat is stacked with trash, debris, contraceptives that had been used, port-o-potties, just an array of trash," said Capt. Phil Burton.
The family was storing food in the car, including raisins, canned goods, potatoes and moldy bread. Paxton also packed in blankets, clothes baskets and her children's toys.
But police say Monday when Paxton disciplined her 13-year-old for complaining about their living conditions, he took off. Officers believe Paxton's son was already fed up with living in the car. After their argument, he walked down Washington Street to get help for his family.
CALLER: I am a 13-year-old and my mom, I think I am in danger by her.
OPERATOR: You think you are in danger? Why?
CALLER: Because I don't have anything. We don't have a home and she just hit me.
OPERATOR: And you say you don't have a home. What do you mean?
CALLER: We are homeless and we are out of gas and stuff. I don't want to live with her.
Police found Carrie Paxton in her car, which was parked in the Horizon House parking lot on East Washington. They secured a shelter placement for her family, but officers say she put up a fight.
"She became very abusive, very argumentative, she even actually struck our officers several times," said Capt. Burton.
Police arrested the 50-year-old mother on two counts of neglect of a dependent, battery and resisting law enforcement. They say Paxton never sought services from the Horizon House, which offers multiple services to homeless people and families. Carter Wolf, Horizon House's executive director, says patrons have access to showers, laundry, restrooms and a free telephone.
As Paxton sits in jail awaiting her first court appearance, thanks to a brave 13-year-old, police say her children are getting the care they need.
Paxton is in the Marion County jail on a $80,000 bond. Her 13-year-old son and his five-year-old sister hope to be reunited with his father in Oregon.
contraceptives that had been used
contraceptives that had been used
contraceptives that had been used
UUUGGGGHHHHHHHH
This sounds to me like a mental health case. The woman sounds nuts.
Poor kids. :-(
I agree, I feel so sorry for the kids...I am so glad the 13 y.o. was able to get help.
Yeah that bothered me too. Other than that, people doing the best they can in hard times need help, not jail IMO. I’m thinking there is more to this story.
While I agree people need help (and I wish the govt would get out of the business and let charities and churches do it, but that’s a pipe dream) this really sounds like a woman with mental problems. It’s one thing to be poor and trying your best. It’s another to put your kids into filthy conditions (especially when alternatives exist) and attack police officers.
I’msure there is more to the story. Sad. I’ll pray for the kids. And the Mom too. And that the contraceptives worked.
susie
<one wonders aloud>Doing some math here, I am wondering if we have a case of a 50 year old woman with a 13-year old child who decided at 36 years old or so, perhaps when life wasn't giving her lemonade, that she needed a kid to complete herself.</one wonders aloud>
I totally agree. I think the woman sounds like she is nuts. I don’t mean garden variety weird nuts, I mean mild brain injury nuts.
I feel sorry for the 13 y/o though. It says he went to get help. It sounds like they didn’t have a choice but he more than likely saw his mom go to jail and will probably never trust LE again.
I agree & will be praying for this family too. I think there is more to the story, hopefully she hasn’t made a habit of hitting her children. I hope the father is in better shape then the mother & the children can be with him. Sad story.
I think we agree. I am leery of Big Bro deciding how we raise our kids. As I said I REALLY wish that churches and communities would handle people problems. It’s always better to handle things closer to home, with communities reaching out to help their own. That used to happen, but the govt stepped in and now most people don’t feel like they need to give someone a helping hand. True charity is as good for the giver as it is for the receiver.
susie
So many kids have marginal parents. I don’t know if it has always been that way or not. I think probably in the past families lived nearby and probably stepped in often. And of course, bad things still happened to kids.
susie
I hadn’t thought of brain injury. Perhaps.
susie
Just thought you’d enjoy #13.
Beg pardon.
#10.
I think it’s pretty weird that you see something sinister about a 36-37 year old having a baby. More notable is the 5 year old sister, since the mother would have been 44-45 when the girl was conceived — that’s the outer limits of normal fertility, and women who are living out-of-control lifestyles (STDs, smoking, drinking, etc.) usually become infertile even earlier.
Even for a healthy woman, it’s VERY unusual to have a child at that age unless she’s having sex VERY regularly. Where is this girl’s father? The article indicates that she is only a half-sister to the boy. I wonder if the woman even knows who the girl’s father is. Living in a car littered with used contraceptives suggests prostitution, and with rock-bottom lowlifes for clients.
They need to make sure that they are actually her kids.
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