Mirror Falls Off Wall, Kills Child At Mall Clothing Store (posted 6/1/2003)

"Local 6" (A Florida Station) ^ | 6/1/03 | Local TV

[7 x 77]

LINCOLNWOOD, Ill. -- Police in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnwood said a 5-year-old boy was killed in a freak accident when a large mirror fell off the wall of a shopping mall clothing store.

Officers said the accident occurred Saturday afternoon in the Express women's clothing store at the Lincolnwood Town Mall.

The victim was identified as Jonathan Villagomez. Police said he was at the store with his mother and other family members when the 5-by-12-foot mirror suddenly fell off the wall and hit him.

The mirror was attached to a "false wall" in the dressing room, area police told WMAQ-TV, .

Store and mall managers would not comment on the incident other than to say their "prayers are with the family."

[joesnuffy]

A child was killed in an unfortunate accident...
This post wasnt about you...

[Ronaldus Magnus]

And I would never wish death on YOUR child. I should have included a sarcasm tag, because I was being sarcastic. My point was, people automatically seek money when a tragedy occurs, instead of maybe family or the church. I have been flamed before but never had harm wished upon one of my kids so a poster can prove a point....

It is clear that you write faster than you read. Assuming that you actually read it the first time, reread my post. I didn't wish harm on anyone's children and I specifically stated that I wished NO harm would come to yours. Also, keep your Freep Mail threats of reporting my post as an abuse on the thread so it is on the record.

About your lost sarcasm tag, if you really intended for your comment to be taken sarcastically you wouldn't have faulted parents of dead children for seeking punitive damages in your rebuttal. Make up your mind. I will now add disingenuous to my previous statement about your post #11 being witless and vulgar.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

I believe your colleague in Post #23 made my point.

Made what point? You have deeply offended me with your thoughtless comment. We (I should say, because it's the whole family) have suffered beyond your comprehension for conservative, Bible-based views from the public school system. I have taught in a private school. The pay is TOO low and the politics are a serious problem. I have NEVER joined a teachers' union although pressured to do so. I am a public school teacher. So, what's your problem?

[Copernicus]

I'm sure you can. I am not defending incompetent public school teachers OR officials. But to make a generalization like that without solid evidence that it applies to the majority makes you the one who needs an adjustment

I think we need to stop meeting like this.

You are now responding to fragments of your own post as though I wrote them.

I believe that falls into the category of reading COMPREHENSION?

Best regards

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Since my remarks were directed at Public School Teachers I know they could not have possibly included you.

Here, try the above line on me.

[Freedom2specul8]

She's a teacher..he/she said to thank a teacher for the illiterate constuction workers.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Here's a good link to document what I've posted here:

Click here.

And, have a good evening. Cathartic, to say the least.

[cardinal4]

The point I was trying to make, albeit ineffectivley (sp?) was that the first reaction to a tragedy nowadays is to summon the lawyers. Thats all I was trying to say. I contacted you by freepmail in hopes that it all was misunderstanding. I see now it was a waste of time. My post was taken outof context by you. I perceived your response to me as me deserving to lose one of my kids, just to teach me a lesson, or something. I see now how I took your post out of context. In retrospect I feel we were both a little hasty in our responses.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

Five year old Jonathan Villagomez

[Ronaldus Magnus]

Post #11:

Its amazing what a six figure settlement will do for grief therapy.....

Then in post #25:

My point was, people automatically seek money when a tragedy occurs, instead of maybe family or the church

I will now reiterate my statement, May you never lose a child and live to regret that witless and vulgar statement, even though you may well deserve to. There was no sarcasm in your first statement based on your second. No "six figure settlement" will be "grief therapy" for any parent who tragically loses a child. You clearly insinuate that grieving parents are motivated by money when there is no talk of litigation in any of the posted articles. How dare you impune such a sinister motivation to this grieving family. I'm certain that they would give up a nine digit settlement in a heart beat to get their child back. I will say again that I hope you are never faced with such a situation, even if you would find a six digit settlement to be more than adequate "grief therapy."

[cardinal4]

Im sorry you are having such a hard time with my post. I think we were both taken out of context, but you seem to want to analyze, judge, and condemn. So in closing, Im sorry I struck a nerve, it was certainly unintentional.

[Chewbacca]

Funny that nobody has yet suggested anyone check the security cameras for what really happened and instead lay blame on the store without any evidence to determine fault.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

If I may beg to differ, (and I worked retail for 10 years) most of the time, the employees are informed by higher management to allow the customers time to shop without being hassled. If that includes keeping an eye on their kids, oh well. The employees are not in the store to be a baby sitter for customer's kids. (And that is something I've done also while working, since my previous place of employ was a full service store.)

The employees of the store have the responsibility to prevent accidents as much as possible. But there is also the possibility that this was a case of horrible accident (where there is no fault with the people at hand.)>>

The duty of care to a customer is *absolute.* The DUTY OF CARE doesn't mean what you think it means.

If a child dies from a crashing, falling mirror, *the store is at fault.* Regardless of how much or how little supervision the child had. The only possible exception is if the child (say a 12 year old) was committing a felony, say attempted robbery. Under the circumstances, sorry, the store is almost certainly liable for everything and then some.

And to whoever else questioned whether I belonged in FR because of the remark I made about "too stupid to get out of jury duty," go stuff yerself. I was being ironic. By that I mean: the system makes is FAR TOO EASY to get out of jury duty. It should be almost IMPOSSIBLE to escape jury duty, if trial by jury is to survive.

The ancient Greeks had a custom: they'd drag in jurors with ropes dipped in red paint. The resulting mark--the 'vermillion stripe'--was a mark of shame, or at least embarassment. They had the right idea.

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

Let me clarify: they'd use the 'vermillion stripe' if there were NOT ENOUGH jurors initially; they'd make the city police (Scythian archer-slaves) go out and fetch folk on the street and drag them in, using the red ropes. The stripe was the mark of someone who was trying to escape his duty, hence the shame.

[zip]

I worked parttime in a retail store and believe 99.99% of all accidents were caused by parents allowing kids to run wild in the store. I actually had a parent chew me out for asking him to get his 3 or 4 year old son off of a 9 ft ladder. So before blaming the store I would want to know what happened. There is no way for the store to win this lawsuit (guaranteed to be filed) even if security cameras caught the child causing the accident. (I still feel sorry for the parents)

[Ronly Bonly Jones]

Precisely. And they should pay up.

They f---ed up, and a child died. End of story. Pay up.

I'd take the case, but not the 'lawyer's share.'

[zip]

(R)only (B)only Jones. I had forgotten that story. Thanks for the reminder. lol

[Ronaldus Magnus]

In your posts, you faulted the parents of lost children for suing the people and companies whose negligence caused their children's suffering and death and specifically indicated that a six figure settlement was too much for this lost boy. You then claimed that you were being sarcastic only to follow that with a reiteration of the same callous thought. I find your lack of empathy so close to this tragedy to be disgraceful.

[zip]

Unless the store has film of the child abusing the area and causing the mirror to fall - we're talking LAW SUIT - BIG TIME!!!

Even with a tape showing the child at fault, the parents will win big time. After all, the store's insurance company has lots of money, at least that is the way juries see it. (see huge tobacco settlements - in the 1950's we called cigarettes "cancer sticks" so we knew even then) The words personal responsibility have been deleted from the English language.