Posted on 08/04/2005 6:41:41 AM PDT by WestTexasWend
A mother's horror turned to a grave reality just before 6 p.m. Wednesday when she stopped to pick up her 1-year-old son from Madison's Place Day Care, located in the 5200 block of 13th Street.
According to police, day care employees told the mother they had not seen Joseph Duemer - born July 15, 2004 - all day, and he had not been checked into the facility.
The mother returned to her vehicle to find Joseph dead in the back seat, said Lubbock police spokesman Lt. Roy Bassett.
"He was in the back seat and had been back there all day," Bassett said.
Although Joseph was transported for treatment, Bassett said it was too late to save him.
According to Lubbock police Sgt. Leland Hufstedler, unconfirmed reports indicate the mother left her home about 8 a.m. Wednesday to drop off the child at Madison's Place.
"Right now, it doesn't look like it was anything intentional," said Hufstedler.
The high temperature in Lubbock was 93 Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. The temperature dipped to 90 at about 6 p.m.
The mother was being questioned Wednesday night by police about the incident, Bassett said.
"The mother was taken to the police station to possibly give a statement and possibly speak to detectives if she chooses to," said Bassett, who indicated the father arrived at the day care shortly after the baby's death was reported to 911 from the facility.
At press time, a Lubbock police investigator said the mother had yet to give a statement to police and did have an attorney present at the station.
Exiting the police station at about 9:30 p.m., the mother was consoled by her husband along with a Lubbock attorney and a small group of people.
Leaving in a white T-shirt, black jogging shorts and tennis shoes, the mother dabbed at eyes swollen with tears before getting into a vehicle and leaving the station.
Hufstedler said the investigation continues as they plan to determine whether the case should head to Lubbock County Criminal District Attorney Bill Sowder for presentation to a grand jury.
Bassett said there will be an autopsy conducted to determine the cause of death.
Wow.
I'd say it's pretty clear her priorities were out of line if it was possible to FORGET HER CHILD. She should go to prison.
Just tragic.
I just don't get it.
Drug or alcohol problem?
I don't understand. Did she never go to the daycare facility that morning? And went straight to work?
Working woman problem.
How in the world can this happen? Something just doesn't add up.
How horrible. This happens all too often these days.
A little harsh don't you think? She'll be paying for her absentmindedness the rest of her life. Society won't be served by locking her up.
If you ask me, this is just another unintended consequence of federally mandated airbags which force parents to place their children in the back seat where they are more easily forgotten. If the child was sitting next to her in the front seat, it would be unlikely she would have forgotten him.
Neither do I. I "forget" to do things like, return books to the library on time, or I "forget" to buy a carton of eggs while shopping at the grocery store.
My wife and I have three children, (21, 19 &17), and not once did we ever "forget" them in any of our vehicles.
Both-parents-working-and-too-exhausted-to-be-fully-aware-BUMP.
I must have read at least a half dozen of these stories in the last two years. Parents don't know what's going on because they're scatter brained from chasing their tails as they both work and service the big bills.
I think it is easy to forget you have children/ are a parent if someone else parents them all day long, every day of their little lives. You are then just the transporter and gene donor.
"...If you ask me, this is just another unintended consequence of federally mandated airbags which force parents to place their children in the back seat where they are more easily forgotten..."
Yes, this is just one more reason why not to have federally mandated nanny-state air bags.
I don't know. . .does not 'feel' right. . .
Easier to forget a child in the car it would seem. ..than forgetting the 'whole nine yards' of delivering him to his day care. . .'
1. Part time mothers are just not used to having child around. She spent 1 hour with the kid in the morning, dropped it off the 10 hours at kiddie warehouse, then spent 1-2 hours with child while cooking and eating dinner before the baby falls asleep.
2. Child seat in the back of car makes that baby just another package in the backseat. If it is not crying, it just slipped her mind.
Sad life for a precious baby, sad death.
There is no tragedy so horrible that it cannot be fixed by the government punishing someone.
Yes, much too harsh. I want to put my two cents in that there is much too much of a burden placed on young mothers who are forced back to work in order to survive. They are doing what women normally do, run the home, pay the bills, raise the kids, and then they are forced to cope with job responsibilities. Much too much stress. You can say, well, live more simply, but with our tax structure, it is very expensive to live today. My folks faced a 13-14% tax burden as a young couple with four young children. With average taxes, and the hidden taxes added in, the average burden today probably 40%. And I am talking things like phone, gas, booze, and so on added on top of property, income, state taxes. So, I have pity on this poor woman. I know how distressing and distracting stress can be!
V's wife.
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