Locked In Hot Car, 2 Young Boys Die; Woman [Foster Mother] Arrested in Deaths

Associated Press via CBSNews.com & Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | July 9, 2003

[newgeezer]

For discussion and educational use only.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide detectives examine the car in which they say the brothers, age 3 and 5, were locked in for about five hours before they were discovered by police. (Photo: AP)

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Locked In Hot Car, 2 Boys Die
LANCASTER, Calif., July 9, 2003


Two young boys died Tuesday after being locked for five hours in a sport utility vehicle in sweltering heat outside a daycare center, authorities said.

The boys, ages 3 and 5, were found by sheriff's deputies around 2 p.m. in the driveway of the daycare center.

Sheriff's Sgt. Paul Patterson says the 5-year-old was dead. His brother, who was severely dehydrated, died a short time later at a hospital.

Authorities say the boys had recently been placed in the foster care of the woman who ran the center.

Police also say she is the owner of the car in which the children were found.

They say the woman, whose identity was not released, told authorities that she left the children in the car at around 9 a.m.

A woman who answered the phone at A Child's Place Daycare declined to comment.

Afternoon temperatures hovered around 100 degrees in Lancaster, a high desert town about 70 miles north of Los Angeles. But Patterson said the temperature inside a closed car could have exceeded 120 degrees.

© MMIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Woman Arrested in Deaths of 2 Young Boys

LANCASTER, Calif. (AP)--The foster mother of two young boys who died after being left five hours in a sweltering sport utility vehicle was arrested for investigation of child endangerment.

Leslie Sue Smoot, 48, was booked late Tuesday night and held on $100,000 bail. No court date was scheduled.

Sheriff Lee Baca said earlier Tuesday that those responsible for leaving the children in the car would be charged with child endangerment and possibly manslaughter.

``Vehicles are not playpens,'' he said. ``Vehicles are not baby sitters. And vehicles, when they are not properly ventilated, are death traps.''

Smoot told authorities she left the boys, ages 3 and 5, in the car around 9 a.m. outside A Child's Place Daycare, which she ran.

``She indicated she thought someone else was going to get the children out of the car, possibly her husband,'' Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Al Grotefend said. ``There was some miscommunication.''

Smoot told investigators she discovered the boys in their car seats when she returned in the afternoon and pulled them from the vehicle.

The 5-year-old was dead. His brother, who was severely dehydrated, died a short time later at a hospital, sheriff's Sgt. Paul Patterson said.

Afternoon temperatures hovered around 100 degrees in the high desert town about 70 miles northeast of Los Angeles.

Officials from the Department of Children and Family Services said they will investigate.

A woman who answered the phone at A Child's Place Daycare declined to comment. Friends and parents gathered Tuesday at the 24-hour day care center.

Naeemah Edwards, whose daughter attended the center, told KABC-TV she was shocked.

``They come in with my daughter, and they play together,'' she said, adding that she would not let her child to return to the center.

AP-NY-07-09-03 0642EDT

Copyright 2003, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

[newgeezer]

How utterly tragic.

(I couldn't find where anything of this story had been posted, yet.)

[Support Free Republic]

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"Nice trade, SIR!

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[admiralsn]

When will these idiots EVER learn NOT to do this?!?!?!?!?!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

The parents, guardians and caregivers who are negligent enough to let this happen, should lose their right to ever have children in their care, again. EVERY summer this happens... when will people ever learn?

[wideawake]

Unbelievable. I have to assume that the five year old was developmentally disabled or simply died in his sleep.

I can't imagine a normal five year old being unable to get out of a car.

[MEG33]

This is really tragic.The woman is evil or ignorant.

[MaxPlus305]

I doubt evil, if you mean in the sense that she wanted her kids to die. That's kind of a dumb way to do it.

[areafiftyone]

OMG 5 Freakin hours?????? Those poor babies!!!

[JennysCool]

She thought her husband had removed them from the van? "There was some miscommunication"?

For FIVE HOURS?

I think something else is going on here. And I hope to God those kids weren't turned over to meet their death at the hands of a foster parent for some piddly little infraction involving the birth parents.

But, then again, this IS California.

[Onelifetogive]

I doubt evil, if you mean in the sense that she wanted her kids to die. That's kind of a dumb way to do it.

I would guess "evil" in the sense of not being concerned about anything or anyone but one's self and one's tasks.

[admiralsn]

To me this is as simple as "You don't leave your child unattended in the bathtub," or "You don't let your child play with light sockets," or "Don't play with matches." What kind of DUMB, STUPID, IDIOTIC, MORON cannot understand that leaving a child or animal in a locked, un-airconditioned car for any amount of time is dangerous? Some people should not be allowed to breed.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Poor,poor babies. They're born to someone that can't take care of them, and then they get stuck with this imbecile.

Maybe we should forget about spreading our tax money to Palestinians, Africans and illegal immigrants, and spend it on screening foster parents and fixing our child protection system. This stinks.

[admiralsn]

As sick as it may sound, I would pay to see this woman locked in a car in 120º heat for 5 hours. I'd just keep telling her, "Well I think your husband is supposed to get you out."

[areafiftyone]

Some people should not be allowed to breed.

The bad thing is this lady was in charge of the Day Care! In charge of all those kids! That Day Care should be investigated and closed down if need be!

[smadurski]

how in the f*** could anyone leave a kid in a car for 5 hours?

[sociotard]

Would it be inappropriate to "Forget" to let her out of the squad car? It'd be a shame to waste a nice sunny July afternoon such as this.

[DarthVader]

She should be put locked in a steam closet or sauna which is turned on high for about 12 hrs and see if she likes it. But Life + 100 years for stupidity in San Quentin should suffice.

[areafiftyone]

I don't know. I freak out if I get too hot being outside for more than 1/2 hour - imagine what these kids went thru! This is sooo sick!