Kids Left Home Alone - Parents Party In Vegas But They DID Get Dog Sitter

[matcom]

:popcorn:

<snip>

A San Ramon couple who police said left their 5- and 10-year-old sons home alone -- but got a dog-sitter for their puppies -- were arrested Tuesday after celebrating the New Year in Las Vegas for five days.

San Ramon police met Jacob Calero, 39, and his wife, Michelle De La Vega, 32, aboard America West Flight 6550 after it arrived at Oakland International Airport at 11 a.m., police said. Investigators had been eager to talk to the couple since finding their boys safe but alone in the couple's luxury apartment Saturday, one day after the parents took off. The 5-year-old boy is autistic, relatives said.

Calero and a tearful De La Vega, the children's stepmother, refused to talk to the detectives, who arrested them on two counts each of felony child endangerment, police said. The couple, who police said may have left the kids home alone before, remained jailed Wednesday night in lieu of $200,000 bail each. They refused media requests for interviews.

Police found the children alone Saturday evening after receiving a phone call from their concerned maternal grandmother, Liberata Holden. The children are now in Holden's custody.

"They should have known better than to leave us alone," 10-year-old Joshua Calero told The Chronicle on Wednesday from his grandmother's house in Manteca. "They knew it was against the law."

C. Wright Morton, De La Vega's attorney, declined comment. It was not immediately known Wednesday who was representing Calero.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/01/05/MNGL8GHMUM1.DTL

[Shine]

1. Sorry, but they are totally dumbshit parents, in my book.

:wtf: were they thinking??

They went to Vegas, hoping to win.

I think they're LOSERS.

[Midlodemocrat]

3. I completely agree with you. I saw that this morning

and felt really badly about it. What they did is horrific.

[matcom]

4. their puppies are FINE!

:hide:

[JVS]

2. Hang them!

[kick-ass-bob]

5. How old is old enough to be left home alone?

No way in hell I'd leave my kids home (same ages as these 2), but when is it OK to do so?

[matcom]

7. 'bout 6 months i think

but i'm not a father :P

[Arugula Latte]

10. Well, if it's a MATURE six-month old, maybe.

:hide:

[Midlodemocrat]

8. Legally, it varies from state to state,

but most experts say it depends on the child. I left mine for the first time at 12, but it was only for about an hour and it was during the day.

[MissMillie]

9. for a couple of hours? I think around 12

but not if the 12 year-old is being left responsible for a younger sibling.

[eyesroll]

6. Oy. When I was 10, my parents might have left me alone (with little sis)

for an hour to run an errand.

They didn't leave me alone in the house overnight until I was 20 and home for summer break.

[GOPisEvil]

11. Damn, I guess I have to withdraw their parent of the year nominations.

:eyes:

[radwriter0555]

12. Notice there's a step-mother involved? This is typical psychologically

troubled behavior indicating she wants those children out of her cave, er house.

That aside, damn... They MUST be republican.