Search Results for: child endangerment

Summer Travel Tip: Never Leave Children Unattended in a Car

It’s a lesson a father living in my city learned the hard way. The man left his 2-year-old daughter sleeping in his locked alarmed car while he ran into Wal-Mart to pick up a spare battery. When he returned to his vehicle his daughter was awake and two police officers were waiting to arrest him for child endangerment. That dad was lucky. Seriously. While I’m sure he wasn’t pleased about being hauled off by police, he is lucky his daughter is still alive. Had the temperature outside been higher his toddler would have suffered much more than just emotional trauma … Continue reading →

Couple Who Caged Their Special Needs Children Get Two Years in Prison

Finally, we have a wrap-up (at least temporarily) in this very sad and bizarre case. Sentencing was handed down today for two Ohio adoptive parents who were discovered to be keeping many of their 11 special needs children in cages at night. Michael and Sharon Gravelle were each given two years in prison for child endangerment. Sharon Gravelle gave a 26-minute statement to the court, where she explained that social services had failed her and her husband. She said they did not offer any help to the couple, despite the very difficult behaviors that the children had. Gravelle described how … Continue reading →

What Happened to Those Children Kept in Cages?

Have you been wondering? I have, too. As of November 14th, 2006, jury selection has begun in the case of an Ohio couple who were the adoptive parents of 11 special needs children ranging in age from 14 to 1. (See my previous blog on this story by clicking here.) The couple were discovered by authorities to be keeping their children in cages at night. This is a story which has been aired and discussed on television news programs all over the country. So far, at least 250 jurors have been eliminated due to biases or other concerns. A judge … Continue reading →

Tan Mom

Snooki called her a “crazy b**ch,” while Jimmy Kimmel wondered if she fell down a chimney, and Dr. Drew speculated that she might be using shoe polish as a moisturizer. It seems everyone has an opinion on Patricia Krentcil a.k.a. “Tan Mom.” The New Jersey mother is at the center of a media firestorm following her arrest for allegedly taking her 6-year-old daughter, Anna, into a tanning booth causing the little girl to suffer serious burns. According to NBC News, 44-year-old Krentcil has been charged with second-degree child endangerment. Apparently, Child Protective Services intervened after a nurse at Anna’s school … Continue reading →

Too Cheap to Pay for a Sitter

Or too dumb. The suburban Pittsburgh dad, who’s making headlines for leaving his young kids alone at a playground while he ran errands, falls into that category–in my less than humble opinion. Listen, I don’t look kindly on people who leave their dogs alone in parked cars, so when innocent children are ditched by their parents, be it in a vehicle or at a playground, I typically have a hard time holding my tongue… or in this case, my fingers. If you missed the news flash, Govindaraj Narayanasamy has been officially charged with child endangerment after police claim he left … Continue reading →

Bad Day

You think you had a bad day? When fear, frustration, anxiety, anger or overwhelming discontent overtake my day I bury my head… in a newspaper. Seriously; nothing changes my perspective on life faster than reading the headlines of the NY Daily News. The sheer magnitude of horrific incidents involving parents and their children serve as a serious slap in the face, and makes my personal problems seem like blessings. You think you’re having a bad day? Take a look at these headlines: *Mother lets baby boy drown; admits she hated him *12-year-old girl discovered naked, searching for food in trash … Continue reading →

Busted for Poor Parenting

When it comes to disciplining children, most parents know that sometimes what works for one kid can fail miserably with another. Interestingly, a Staten Island mom recently found out that what works for some parents in the discipline department gets others thrown in jail. Annette Gerhardt… remember the name… because you don’t ever want to end up like her. According to news reports, the New York mom was hoping to scare some sense into her six-year-old by taking her to the police department and threatening to leave her there. Gerhardt thought the idea was out of this world brilliant after … Continue reading →

Homeschooling Hits the News … Again

The eyes of the nation are on this case. A Pennsylvania couple—Louann Bowers and Sinhue Johnson—was arrested for concealing their five children from the eyes of the world, raising them without heat or electricity, not providing for their basic health care, isolating them from anything found on the “outside,” and for not seeing to their educational needs. The couple is currently locked up in York County Prison, and the children have been placed in foster homes. They have received medical treatment and most of them have been enrolled in school. The parents say they have been homeschooling the children, but … Continue reading →

Toddler-sitting Teen Texts Herself Into Big Trouble

Thankfully, I have never had to pay anyone to watch my child. I was reminded of how grateful I am of this fact after hearing about the teen babysitter from Ohio, who decided she was sick of her job, and ditched her charges before their parents returned home. The kids are okay, their parents are livid, and the teen sitter is behind bars. Actually, 18-year-old Mia Kemper was released from jail on her own recognizance. Which is a good thing considering she would have probably had a hard time finding someone to bail her sorry behind out of the slammer … Continue reading →

Toddlers and Guns Don’t Mix

Newsflash: Loaded guns and toddlers don’t mix. In other news… saying something will never happen to you, typically begets negative results. Just ask these parents: In Las Vegas some heat packing parents are hoping beyond hope that their 2-year-old daughter will survive after being shot by their 4-year-old. According to police, the girl is in critical condition while the father remains in custody for allegedly leaving a improperly secured loaded gun laying around in the family’s home. In South Carolina, a 3-year-old boy shot his 4-year-old brother with a gun he allegedly found under the bed at the home of … Continue reading →