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Couple arrested after children forced to dig ditches
Associate Press ^ | March 14, 2002 | A/P Staff

Posted on 03/14/2002 8:57:59 AM PST by MeekOneGOP


Couple arrested after children forced to dig ditches

03/14/2002

Associated Press

TYLER, Texas - Arrests of an East Texas couple followed accusations that they forced their four young children to dig ditches in subfreezing weather as punishment for sneaking food between meals.

Luis Guevera Sanchez, 31, and Melissa Dale Raynor, 32, were arrested last week in connection with felony child endangerment, Smith County Jail records show. Both were released this week after posting bond.

Child endangerment charges against the Lindale couple were forwarded Wednesday to the Smith County District Attorney.

The youngsters, ages 6, 10, 11 and 12, have been returned to the custody of their parents, but Child Protective Services is continuing to investigate, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph's Thursday editions.

The children were punished for dipping their fingers into jar of peanut butter and sneaking cookies between meals, investigators said.

A CPS report filed on the case indicated the children had been subjected to "bizarre punishment," authorities said Wednesday.

Lindale officials acting on a welfare concern March 2 found the youngsters alone at night, monitored only by an in-home surveillance system.

"The children have been exposed to extreme weather, they are malnourished, meals have been withheld," Precinct 5 Constable Dennis Taylor told the newspaper. "The parents used cameras to make sure the kids weren't disobeying."

Authorities found the children sitting motionless on the floor at various points in the house after their parents went to the movies.

The children told authorities Sanchez imposed a variety of punishments, including digging in a wooded creek bottom about 200 yards from the house.


Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/texassouthwest/stories/031402dntexcouplearrest.371ae.html


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: children; cps; cruel; unusualpunishment
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To: dead
where the state can greatly overstep their bounds in the area of parenting.

No argument with you there. I never maimed or injured my children, but I had no problem with busting their butts. I am sure these days, I would be sitting in a jail. However, my kids grew up decent and honest, which is more than I can say for the permissive parents who were always making excuses for their little darlings.

21 posted on 03/14/2002 10:18:31 AM PST by scholar
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To: isthisnickcool
Uncle Bobby sounds like the kind of man EVERYONE could emulate! You are fortunate to have had him as family!
22 posted on 03/14/2002 10:22:29 AM PST by dcwusmc
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To: isthisnickcool
I wasn't there or anything, but Uncle Bobby would have done better to brandish the rifle while keeping it pointed in a safe direction. The message will be recieved just the same. Remember, a gun is always loaded. Other than that, he sounds like a great guy and the perfect Uncle.

In the ditch digging case, there is not enough info to go on. I do not trust the state for a minute when they start accusing the parents, because an investigator can really pile on the charges. Not to say that that is the case here, there really isn't enough info in the article to say.

But I don't think digging ditches in the cold weather constitutes abuse. If it does, my parents have some explaining to do, and my grandparents would have been locked away for a thousand years!

23 posted on 03/14/2002 10:35:50 AM PST by gridlock
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To: scholar
No--under the circumstances you describe, I don't think you were a Bad Dad. However, look at the circumstances of this case. Did you ever deprive your children of food?

When I was about 12, my father was entertaining some guests. Just to be little jerks, my three brothers and I put on our most puppy-dog faces, dressed in our worst clothes, wandered out into the living room where all the guests were and asked my father meekly, "We've been good, can we eat today?"

My father, without batting an eye, looked me up and down and said, "you ain't been that good. Go to your room."

We didn't get punished for it, though I don't know why.

24 posted on 03/14/2002 10:42:57 AM PST by Junior
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To: Junior
ROFL!
25 posted on 03/14/2002 10:46:21 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
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To: MeeknMing
There is a cult that teaches to withhold food as punishment.
26 posted on 03/14/2002 10:46:26 AM PST by AppyPappy
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To: whoever
fyi
27 posted on 03/14/2002 10:47:15 AM PST by MeekOneGOP
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To: Boxsford
Plus subfreezing weather could equal 31 degrees. Folks that's a down right balmy day where I live.

Got that right Boxsford...same where I live (in winter anyways)...It's -10 to 0 now every morning...then gets to 50+ as the day goes on...living in the mountains is always interesting.

FMCDH!

28 posted on 03/14/2002 10:51:14 AM PST by nothingnew
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To: Lokibob
Something tells me these kids were subjected to more than just a harsh lesson... 3 kids at these ages JUST SAT AROUND MOTIONLESS while their parents were out???? They had to have been scared to death to behave in such a way, no 6 year old will sit still for 2 hours when hes at a movie, much less when his parents are out of the house.... Something sounds a bit off here, we'll see what happens.
29 posted on 03/14/2002 10:53:09 AM PST by HamiltonJay
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To: MeeknMing
Come on, come on....where's the part about them being homeschooled?

That seems to be the only type of child abuse cases that get coverage these days.

30 posted on 03/14/2002 10:53:20 AM PST by Lizavetta
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To: Junior
...and asked my father meekly, "We've been good, can we eat today?"

LOL--however, I would wager that the guests knew you and your family well enough to recognize childish clowning when they saw it.

BTW you guys are lucky you didn't get your little butts kicked after the company went home. Thanks for a cute story.

31 posted on 03/14/2002 10:58:48 AM PST by scholar
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To: MeeknMing;ru4liberty
..The youngsters, ages 6, 10, 11 and 12, have been returned to the custody of their parents..

This is the saddest part of the story. There are many folk who would give their entire fortune to have a child of their own. These have been abused, sadly. So sadly.

I pray for these dear children.

Thanks for the ping, MeeknMing.

32 posted on 03/14/2002 11:13:26 AM PST by whoever
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To: MeeknMing

Social Services said
the digging was cruel and unusual.
33 posted on 03/14/2002 11:48:57 AM PST by blackbag
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To: Junior
THAT is one funny story! Your poor dad! I can only imagine what hell you gave him at 16! :^)
34 posted on 03/14/2002 3:38:11 PM PST by Boxsford
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To: scholar
however the authorities just don't wander into a home without reason.

I am making no judgement call on this case as far too much information is missing but 'authorities' can and will wander into a home on nothing more than an anonymously placed phone call.

35 posted on 03/14/2002 3:45:33 PM PST by riley1992
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To: MeeknMing
My parents forced me to shovel snow during bitterly cold Michigan winters before I could go sledding. Does this mean I was abused as a child?
36 posted on 03/14/2002 3:49:21 PM PST by MistrX
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To: MistrX
LOL! Dittos here. We lived in Spokane, Washington in the 60s.
In the winter of 68-69, I shoveled record snowfall in our driveway - the most snow in 60 years at the time.
37 posted on 03/14/2002 4:12:07 PM PST by MeekOneGOP
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To: scholar
Why were they returned to their parents if they were malnourished? Isn't that a bad thing?
38 posted on 03/14/2002 4:17:32 PM PST by Deb
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To: Lokibob
I guess you were. If you didn't allow him to get plenty of water, you were endangering his life. Heat and hangovers are a deadly combination. Your lucky he didn't just flat out refuse. Then your authority would have been permanently compromised.
39 posted on 03/14/2002 4:18:07 PM PST by mamelukesabre
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To: Deb
Why were they returned to their parents if they were malnourished?

Good point and I questioned that as well. I just go over the line when I think of abused children. As others here have pointed out to me, there seem to be a lot of missing information and I concur.

40 posted on 03/14/2002 4:23:23 PM PST by scholar
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