Puppies got sitter but kids left home alone

[auntAgonist]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/01/05/home.alone.ap/index.html

MANTECA, California (AP) -- A married couple who got a dog sitter for their puppies but left the man's young children home alone while they vacationed in Las Vegas were arrested Wednesday, police said.

Jacob Calero, 39, and Michelle De La Vega, 32, were taken into custody as they arrived home on a flight to Oakland. They had left town Friday to celebrate the new year, authorities said.

The couple apparently told 9-year-old Joshua to look after his 5-year-brother, Jason, who is autistic. The children spent one night alone before police found them.

The grandmother, Libbey Holden, said she called police because she had suspected the couple left the children at home in San Ramon, about 35 miles east of San Francisco.


********

Thank goodness Grandma called the cops!!!

[Heidi]

1. I, too, thought that was very sad.

Yes, thank goodness they have an attentive grandmother.

:hug: aA!

[auntAgonist]

2. I cannot imagine

how that nine year old boy felt. I cried when I read that he thought his 'parents' loved the puppies more. So sad that the children's mother is deceased.

WFT is WRONG with people!!!!!!!!! ????????? !!!!!!!

kids are our future damnit!

:hug: Heidi!

[Gormy Cuss]

3. You should read the local coverage.

The stepmother whined in defense that they're newlyweds and deserve a honeymoon.
The father, through his lawyer, is claiming it was miscommunication with the grandma. He claims she agreed to watch them. She said she was asked but told them she couldn't because she was working over the weekend. Grandma lives about an hour's drive from San Ramon. Now I ask you, how many parents would get on a plane without knowing that the sitter was either on the way or in the house with the kids? Would you leave your son with a list of microwaveable dinners to eat if you thought that grandma was on her way?

More damning is that the cops left messages on the father's cell phone beginning Saturday night and they weren't called back until Monday.


They were indicted for felony child endangerment and a high bail was set.

http://www.sfgate.com
http://www.contracostatimes.com

[auntAgonist]

4. I would

never leave the house until everything was settled. The DO deserve a honeymoon, in the CROWBAR hotel. disgusting!

[musette_sf]

5. I also read this week about these two

that the nanny just left their employ, because she could not manage the autistic 5 year old. So these so-called parents leave the 10 year old alone with him. These people have rocks in their heads, and they're getting the wakeup call from hell. GOOD. These kids need to be with their real mom's mom, and the father and the wicked stepmother need to, at the very least, sit and stew in stir for as long as possible.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. Agree with you completely: rocks in their heads for certain.

I hope that a judge orders them to liquidate enough of their assets to set up a trust for the boys, and that the boys are given over to their grandmother or another loving relative. Then the obtuse parents can drive off into the sunset with their puppies for all I care.

[Flying Dream Blues]

8. This is just evil. The nanny quit b/c she couldn't handle the

autistic child so they leave his 10 year old brother in charge of him? Stunning cruelty...I hope those children never have to spend another night with those "parents."

[LisaL]

7. All those stories about an evil step mom sure come to mind.

Poor kiddies.