Place one of these on the front driver's side window ... facing in.
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.
"more easily forgotten". It happens too often. Why have children when your priorities are work and time is limited. We both work and always double checked status of kids. We were lucky daycare/schools called to see if they were coming in. If you are rushed, then make a list, with kid's needs at the top, middle and bottom. With the large number of incidents made public, I can't believe parents don't start checking backseats before they exit car. Poor child.
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.
That's still not an excuse to forget about your kid IMHO.
How else can a family meet their expenses? They have 2 car payments for vehicles less than a year old, the mortgage on a 2500 sq. ft. home furnished like HGTV, the timeshare, the hottest electronics, club dues, complete work and home wardrobe for both, summer camp for children.....< / sarcasm>
This doesn't sound like sarcasm to me, it is exactly how people THINK they have to live these days. Moms need to stay home and make their children their priority instead of the almighty dollar and keeping up with the Joneses.
"The mother returned to her vehicle to find Joseph dead in the back seat..."
This could be a case against airbags in vehicles. No airbag, the child might have been buckled into the seat beside Mom - no chance of being ignored or forgotten.
Having said that, I think airbags are dangerous and should be optional in vehicles. If you have never had airbags explode in your face, you might not be inclined to agree with me. Once airbags have exploded in your face, as they did one night when we hit a deer, you will never feel good about having that loaded 'shotgun' looking you in the face. The airbags exploded, filling the car with acrid, no doubt poisonous, white smoke. The drivers side bag drove me back in the seat, though there was no danger of any serious impact until the bag exploded and nearly caused loss of control. The passenger side bag hit my wife in the chest and injured her, leaving trauma and bruises that took a couple months to heal. I was able to control the vehicle but we could just as easily been out of control, off the road and into dense trees that were along the divided highway where we were travelling. Over half the cost of repairs to the vehicle were to replace airbags and repair damage their explosion caused.
Airbags are EVIL and DANGEROUS!
Yeah, no kidding. Its called priorities...and living within your means. Most 2 income families couldget by on one just fine if they eliminate the unneeded nonsense out of their lives.
Just how in H*** can someone forget their child in a car is beyond me, this is happening way to much in every city in the country not just texas.
why have kids, why don't people just wait until they can "afford them" or "have the time to devote to children?
Accidents happen, If she wasn't a irresponsible mom and just plain forgot, it's still wrong. You bring a life into this world and it was her responsiblity to make sure child was safe at all times will in her care.
I have to agree with you. I just can't believe someone could forget their child for that length of time. I mean, you certainly see at least the rear of the car seat when you are getting out of the vehicle, doesn't that ring a bell? Not to mention that a lot of times you have a diaper bag or kid stuff in the front passenger seat. I see these stories more and more often, it seems, but I just can't understand them.
Could we all start peer into cars we pass as we walk from our parked cars to out destinations? MAYBE, just maybe, there could be a few more happy endings. This one just makes me want to cry.
To survive? Lately, that means being able to afford a boat, another big screen TV, or just to live in a house that is just a little bit bigger. Most these women don't have to do it to "survive". I doubt this woman was working to put food on the table.
too bad the "material things" don't include the child's safety.
we had a neighbor's daughter install(velcro) a mirror on the back roof, so when she looked in her mirror or looked back she could see baby. There are ways/things that parents can do who are rushed and stressed, pressed for time.
Realize there is no normal response. . .and allowed for shock as well. . .
But apparently this Mother had enough clarity to have a lawyer with her at the police station - even if someone elses decision - she still had presence of mind to not make a statement without one. . All of which. . .means nothing, really; certainly NOT that it could not be an accident. . .
. . .but 'all the above' and more of the circumstances . . .could at least raise an eyebrow. It has mine, anyway. . .
And, for sure; speculating does not change the tragedy here; just challenges one's imagination as to what might have happened.
Place one of these on the front driver's side window ... facing in.
Good greif what is it with people How the hell do you forget your own flesh & blood in the back seat if your life is that hectic You need to do some serious re-evaluating what is going on before you kill your own kid.
I just hope the child was buckled properly into the child safety seat.
Good suggestion/reminder. . .
This has happened more than once in my community; so I already do. But easy to forget; or perhaps not just see enough. . . especially when darkened windows make it difficult to see anything but your own reflection. . .
It was a hundred degrees here in NY yesterday. I went to my car to get something and didn't roll down the windows. I didn't last ten seconds before rolling down the windows. Imagine what this little infant felt like.
Modern motherhood: busy job, busy household, busy kid delivery schedule, hurried driving doing makeup and cell phone calls and breakfast, so much to be thinking about all the time. Busy, busy, busy.
Got to be able to afford that big house, big SUV, big TV, pool, cabin, phonecam, cable/sat tv, internet, entertainment, meals out, big vacations, etc. Busy, busy, busy. But what's the real cost?
This was the most tragic ultimate physical loss. But, what other kinds of loss do millions of dropped-off children suffer every day -- physical, emotional, family, social? God help America. Wake up its mothers.
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