BabyUniversity.com › Forums › Hot Topics › Headlines › Toddler found wandering on interstate
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Toddler found wandering on interstate

post #1 of 12
1/1/07 at 5:52pm
Thread Starter 
Indianapolis - A normal drive on the interstate around Indianapolis turned terrifying for some motorists on the westside Saturday morning.

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp...&nav=menu188_2

That woman needs to be smacked.
Reply
post #2 of 12
1/1/07 at 6:50pm
She needs something worse than that done to her. I'd personally like to kick her @ss.
Reply
post #3 of 12
1/1/07 at 6:52pm
My dd has gotten out on me before. That's why I have an extra deadbolt on the door. If you know he can get out, fix it so he can't. I'm glad he's alright.
Reply
post #4 of 12
1/1/07 at 7:11pm
Johnny just saw this on the news and he said that when the police arrived the Mother was sleeping and a little girl was eating spaghetti off the floor.
Reply
post #5 of 12
1/2/07 at 2:03pm
Stuff like that scares me to death. Jonathan got out twice. Not because of neglect, but because he was sneaky and too stinking smart for his own good. And with him being Autistic and basically non-conversational, we can't be too careful because he couldn't tell anybody who he was or where he belonged when he got out. That's why we have extra locks on our doors that he can't reach. Kids are smarter than you think sometimes--and autistic children are especially crafty at figuring out locks and puzzles and things. If you know that they have a tendancy to get out or to try to climb like that, you HAVE to do something to prevent things like this. I'm certainly not taking up for the lady. She needs to do something to better protect him. But I understand how easy it is for a child to get out and run away. If she's in an apartment, then sometimes the landlords won't let you put extra locks on the door on your own. I'll never understand why... but we did have a landlord like that once.

What I want to know is how he got on the interstate. Most residential areas are at least somewhat removed from the interstate.

It does sound like she has some other issues, though, if they've called Children's Services on her before.
Reply
post #6 of 12
1/2/07 at 2:10pm
Thread Starter 
I don't dispute that her three-year-old MIGHT be autistic, but I certainly suspect her of neglect first, given the state of both children when they were found. And on the video that went with that story, they showed how far the boy had gone to get to the highway - it looked like a pretty long block. He wasn't gone 5 minutes, that's for sure - more like 30 or more.
Reply
post #7 of 12
1/2/07 at 2:11pm
It's true that some landlords won't let you do anything extra, but she could figure a way around that. I mean, surely she could put something in front of the door that is too heavy for the kid to move. She could also purchase a bell and tack it on the door, out of the kid's reach, so that he can't take it down and so that it will ring if he moves the door. She could also try not falling asleep and leaving a special needs child to fend for himself.
I saw footage of the apartments, and they are right next to the intersate, maybe a 200 yards away from it. I also saw footage of the apartment the kid lived in, and it was NASTY NASTY NASTY NASTY and the mom looked just as bad. I am guessing there's a reason for the neglect--substance abuse in some form would be my guess.
Reply
post #8 of 12
1/2/07 at 2:12pm
Exactly, Judy! He was wandering for a while, and he was in a sagging, dirty diaper and a t-shirt. He looked so pitiful. Thank God he didn't get hurt or killed.
Reply
post #9 of 12
1/2/07 at 2:52pm
This is scary whether the kid has any difficulties or not. This woman needs someone to check the welfare of her kids further. Especially after what Krista said. Those poor kids.
Reply
post #10 of 12
1/2/07 at 5:02pm
I've lived in rented places for the last 20 years. Our apartment did not have either when we moved in, but a simple phone call to the landlord was all that was required. Usually they want to put it in for you, but one way or another, you can usually get another lock on the door where the child can't reach. Most apartments I've lived in came with a bolt or a chain lock at eye level.

Also, surely these are not the only kids living in the complex. How do all the other parents keep their kids in, if it's so impossible?
Reply
post #11 of 12
1/2/07 at 10:51pm
Go to Menards (or similar) and BUY a lock or similar and install it. Can be done for $10 or less. I'm sure she's done WORSE with money. A little investment can go a long way in taking care of your child.

I agree....that woman should be SLAPPED! This situation is so WRONG on so many levels.....
Reply
post #12 of 12
1/3/07 at 1:52am
I agree, Lenora! And if your landlord won't do it (or won't let you do it), then you need to call the health department or housing department or something and report them for safety issues. You can get those door alarm/chime things for less than $10, too. They work on doors and windows. We looked at those last summer before we did the new locks.

I think this lady (I use the term loosely) has more issues than I care to delve into. If it's happened before and she hasn't made any effort to stop it, then she seriously needs a .
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Headlines
BabyUniversity.com › Forums › Hot Topics › Headlines › Toddler found wandering on interstate