[livius]

It's not a racial issue, it's a "these kids are a bother" issue. There was a lady in the Midwest last year (quite white, upper middle class, well employed) who left her small child in her car almost all day while she attended a meeting of her executive committee and did this and that. She was the director of a hospital, btw. When she went out at the end of the day (or at lunch - I've forgotten which) she found her child dead in the car, because she'd forgotten to drop him off at day care. She had a husband, incidentally, and he was also well employed.

[glory]

"these kids are a bother" issue

Yes, I think this figures a lot into these types of events.

[Alouette]

she found her child dead in the car, because she'd forgotten to drop him off at day care. She had a husband, incidentally, and he was also well employed.

There was another case in Detroit, a few years ago, in which a Wayne State University professor left his infant to fry in the car. He forgot that it was his turn to drop of the bother at daycare. The absent-minded professor was not charged, IIRC.