Anchorage woman arrested after leaving baby in car
Published Tuesday, August 19, 2008
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Stumble It!ANCHORAGE -- A woman in Anchorage is accused of leaving her 5-month-old baby in the car for at least an hour while she was at the gym.
Olivia Kester is facing a count of endangering the welfare of a child.
Police spokeswoman Anita Shell says police got a report of the child crying in the parking lot of the REI store on Northern Lights Boulevard shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday.
Officers found the child alone in a silver Acura.
Shell says one of the rear windows was cracked open and police used a coat hanger to unlock the door.
According to Shell, Kester arrived about an hour later from the nearby Alaska Club.
The woman's sister showed up to take custody of the child.
Shell says Kester was booked at the Anchorage jail and bail was set at $500.
Community Discussion
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Bail was set at only $500??? Wow. She left her child in a car for OVER an hour. She needs to have the book thrown at her.
More than having the book thrown, she needs to have her parental automactically taken away!
what the hell... $500.00 are you kidding me?
Talk about a slap on the hand.
Poor baby, hopefully the sister is more responsible then she is!
The saddest thing is she'll probably get off. Do any of you remember the couple two winters ago that 911 kept getting called on for leaving their infant in the car? It was December -20 to -25 degrees, the car at Fred Meyer, Pizza Hut and Gottschalks was unlocked and unrunning. The state called several of us 911 callers as witnesses, I myself waited 20+ mins. at the scene while the police waited for the parents to come out, asking me to fill out a report in the meantime. I have no idea how long that baby had been in the car, the windows all ready had breath on them when I called 911. 20+ mins at -20, it's not something I've actually tested but I think I'd get cold in that timeframe. Long story short, they got off.
Well the piece said she smelled of alcohol, so one would have thought she would have been charged with DUI/DWI as well. That alone would have be reason to set bail higher -
She'll probably have to take a parenting class. If she could go to a health club, you would think she could afford a baby sitter for a few hours. Another example of putting yourself above everything else. Can only imagine what this child's life will be like with such a mother.
Some of these health clubs have an area for kids while you are 'exercising', probably didn't use it as someone may have turned her in if they smelled alcohol on her. One can only hope that the auntie takes the baby and applys for custody.
aksunshine - where does it say anything about alcohol?
akrose - I remember that story, it is sad that they got off.
read ADN article
I agree her right s should be taken away! No child under 12 should be left alone in a car. But a BABY!!!! Unspeakable! And the 500 bail! Should have been a lot higher then that ! I feel for the baby. Lets hope that baby has a better life while it is out of her custidy!
Okay got ya... I only read the FDNM article
This women should not be aloud to have her child. And the sad thing is , nothing will happen!! Even if the sister gets to keep the baby she will still see the baby. She doesn't even deserve to. The baby is only five months old!! Are you kidding me?? In a gym!! Thats embarrassing!!! And what a judge!! He's probably the same judge who let's sex offenders back on the streets!!! Sorry this got a little vulgar but it's complete B.S.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She should not be able to care for the child again. Oh wait she doesn't care. Oops.
Sick........... She can afford membership at a gym, but can't pay for a sitter. Come on judge she needs the book thrown at her....
Luckily that baby didnt die, I've been hearing alot lately about babies being left in cars and they die. It's horrible, and the excuses are even worse, they say they forgot. But this lady intentionally left her kid in there like it was a dog or something! Some people.
Those Acuras are nice cars!
Mackie - you sure to have a knack for getting under my skin more then the article of disscusion does! You are a sick minded human! Again what are you thoughts when you are writing something so insensitive?
Mackie1--witty statements usually show intelligence. In your case it just shows lack of social skills.
What was she thinking?? Wonder how many other times she has left her child ALONE? Take her child from her and have her sign up for child care lessons.
I'll bet she owns a pit bull to.
Ok... you are all crazy... she did not harm the kid. This happened in Anchorage, on a cool, not-to-sunny day. The article did not say that the car was hot on the inside... it did not say that the child was dehydrated... it did not say that there was ANY harm inflicted on the child at all. So why, then, do you all want to 'throw the book' at the mother?
(I agree that it is somewhat irresponsible, but no more so than letting your kids play violent video games, for example)
BillyG,
This child could not defend for itself and depends on a responsible adult to provide that defense....they may have chose NOT to list the harm that may or may not have been inflicted. Throwing the book is in response to the lousy $500 bail given. Your comparison to "no more than letting your kids play violent video games" and leaving a defenseless 5 month old alone is in my opinion irresponsible.
BillyG--I really hope you don't feel that way and you were just trying to stir up some conversation. On the assumption that you really think that---are you stupid? Why on earth would you leave a 5 month old by themselves in a car unattended for an hour? If she is stupid enough to leave the child in the car for an hour, what else is she capable of doing? No mother/father in her right mind would think this was an okay form of babysitting. You obviously have no idea how hot a car gets even on a cool day. Babies can't regulate there body temp, so she potential could have killed the baby.
Ok, first of all, I do agree that what she did was irresponsible (and I said so in my post). I do not think leaving a child in a car, unattended is an OK form of babysitting. I do, however, think that it is no worse to leave a sleeping child unattended in a car, given that you have taken the proper steps necessary to make sure they will not overheat (which is the main way leaving a child in a car is harmful), than leaving the child sleeping, unattended in thier crib in the other room while you do the dishes or vaccuming.
I don't think this mother should 'have the book thrown at here' just for the incident discussed in the article. Maybe it is indicative of other potential irresponsible acts by this mother... maybe not. But based on the details of this article, the mother did NOT put here child in any eminent danger.
My point with the 'no more than letting your kids play violent video games' is that ALL parents have thier moments of irresponsible parenting (even those that don't let thier children play violent video games), yet you are all so quick to point the finger at this mother (who again, according to the details of the article did not put her child in eminent danger).
Billy G-
There is a huge difference from leaving your child in a vehicle as opposed to a crib. One is in the safety of your home with you in hearing distance, with climate set at the thermostat, etc. I am not a parent yet, but I can't imagine leaving a child alone in a vehicle for even 5 minutes without them at least being in my line of vision. There are a lot of crazy people in this world, and any young child, especially an infant is incapable of protecting itself. What if someone decided to take the infant instead of reporting it. Maybe lucky for the baby if it was a loving infertile couple, not so lucky if it was a deranged child molester. And according the the ADN story, she was drunk, or drinking...so getting in the car with that child does in fact put it in eminent danger.
Billy--what proper steps would make it okay to leave the child in the car for an hour? Rolling down the window, so that whomever could walk by and steal your kid? Or leave the car idling with the A/C on, so that the kid is exposed to carbon monoxide? I think you are little too trusting of your fellow neighbors in Anchorage where crime is extremely high.
Yeah---eminent danger?! The potential was definitely there.
Billy G - You should look up the information on how quickly a car can become over-heated, even at a cooler temperature. You may be shocked. Also, did you consider the fact that if the police could have gained access to the child, anyone else could have too! That child could have been kidnapped. That in itself is endangerment! Most parents who are doing the dishes while their child is asleep, safe in their home, in their own bed, in a temperature regulated environment, also have baby monitors.
I have a friend who works for the Alaska Club, and it is my understanding that all of them have child care facilities in them. Now, since I have not personally been in the one she claimed to be in, I can't say that for sure. But a phone call would solve that mystery.
There are WAY too many possibilities of things that can go wrong in that particular situation. And the bottom line is that any responsible, caring parent with even mediocre intentions would not do such a thing.
The distance from the Alaska Club she was at and where her car was parked at REI is from quite some distance. From Spenard to Minnesota. She endangered her child by her selfish act. Thank goodness for the one who intervened and called 911 and stood by until police arrived! Because it very well could have been a perverted person who intervened and we would all be hearing and reading about a child who was abducted instead.
. . .maybe she should have had an abortion. . .
At least she didn't leave the baby at home with her pitbulls.
BillyG the eminent danger is she had know idea what was happening to her child. Yes the baby was tucked away in it's seat all snug and crying, but what would have happened if some random stranger came and decided they needed a car or wanted to do harm to the infant. There are some sick people out there. Yes it is different when the baby is sleeping at home than sleeping in the car for an hour unattended not even in the same parking lot!!! You have control in your house where you can hear the baby and check on them when your doing dishes and housework!
Good grief! You are all way over reacting, and are way too "what if?" oriented.
Of course someone could have kidnapped the child! Your child could be kidnapped tonight while sleeping in your 'safe, climate controlled' home.
Just because someone else MIGHT be a criminal and kidnap a child, does NOT make the mother a criminal by not locking her child away from would be kidnappers in a safe deposit box (which would be criminal)
Of course it is very easy for a car to become over heated (I know this very well). That does not mean that this car was over heated! The article said NOTHING about the car being over heated.
Of course the mother may have been drinking! But there is a big difference between having wine with lunch and being aa raging, child endangering drunk. The article did not say anything about this, and even the ADN article quotes a police spokeswoman as saying the mother 'smelled of alcohol'.. but NOTHING about whether she had actually been drinking.
The point is that you are all over-reacting without knowing ANY details. Based on what the article presented, 'throwing the book at this mother is COMPLETELY unwarrented.
I think it is absolutely crazy that because we have seen a few evening tabloid news programs (think 20/20 or 60 minutes) about children dying in hot cars, that we immediately want to criminalize any person who leaves a child in a car. I have had a number of friends with small children who leave thier sleeping children in the car in the driveway so not to wake them... come out in half an hour (or hour), and get them and bring them inside. These are loving, responsible people, who do NOT deserve to go to jail, do NOT deserve to have the book throw at them.
Just because a parent does not do things the way you would does not mean that they should have thier child taken from them. Based on the details of the article, we have NO indication that this woman physically endangered her child... so stop acting as judge and jury trying to take this woman's child from her and throw her in prison... you are OVER-REACTING!
(And I'm probably over-reacting by getting so upset by your over-reacting... but come on people... this is a woman's life you are taking about, and her very real child that you are saying should be taken from he)
Doesn't that Gym have a Child care in it?? and Only 500 dollars for bail~ Wow that's sad!!
You must be a relative or friend of this person, because it amazes me that someone could defend this kind of action. Raising children you have to live by the "what ifs". Hopefully you are teaching your children the "what if" scenerios that will keep them out of danger. You know that is our jobs as parents--to prepare your kids for adulthood.
I have a hypothetical for you---would you let a complete stranger babysit your kids? No background checks--just turn your kids over.
Billy you probably need to OVER-REACT a little more when it comes to children. Plan for the worst and when the best happens that is great.
BillyG - you smoked too much crack today apperently.
Leaving a 5 month old child (or any age) alone in a car is one of the most irresponsible things a parent can do. Whether they are sleeping or not it is not considered a safe environment for a child to be left in the car 1 minute or 24 hours. Leaving a child in a sleeping kid in your home while you vaccum is completely different, you are not comparing apples to apples here.
Her child was in eminate danger, just because you don't see it that way doesn't mean that she is justified.
YOU should not have children any more then this horrible mother and if you do you should have your children removed also.
BTW - did you miss the part that alcohol was a factor (ADN paper)
Bottom line is she should have had a babysitter if she wanted to go work out drunk!
Hey Olivia put the child in a stroller and take him or her for a walk dumbass!!! You friggin moron!
lagirl... I'm not defending this kind of action, and I don't know a single soul who lives in Anchorage (i.e., I am not in any way related to the person in this article).
To answer your question, no I would not let a complete stranger babysit my kids, but I certainly would not ever do a background check on a potential babysitter either. I am not sure how this relates to the child left in the car though.
Of course, as parents we should train our kids to stay out of danger. But I really think we as a society (and especially the others posting on this topic) over react. I will not raise my kids to never ride in a boat just because they might fall otu and drown. I will not raise my kids to never hike in Bicentennial Park just because they might get mauled by a bear. I will not raise my kids to never be friendly to people they don't know just beacuse those people might have bad intentions. And I will NOT condemn the mother in the article to have her child taken from her and spend time in prison just because her kid spent an hour in the car.
I guess I have a little more empathy than the rest of you because I can understand how a mother might not see the harm in leaving a sleeping kid in the car for an hour(especially if the car is not going to get too hot). (That is NOT to say that I think it's OK to do so... just not criminal)
I actually have to agree with BillyG on this one. Yes it was incredibly irresponsible, but not every irresponsible act needs to be treated like a murder. I grew up in a small town where people would leave their kids in the car while running errands all the time. Granted Anchorage isn't a small town, but still, there is nothing in the article that indicates the child was harmed, which would put this into another category.
Hopefully, BillyG, this will be a wake up call for her and for others. Children are our precious and future sources and it is the responsiblity of all to see to it that all of them are protected, and if it takes society over-reacting to do so, than so be it. Sometimes it is the over-reaction that gets laws changed and sends a message out loud and clear. Alternatives are there if any parent looks for it.
Mom leaves a 5 month old baby unattended in a vehicle for over an hour and then has alchohol on her breath. Number one the baby could of been taken by someone. And as mentioned before, no mention was made in regards to the alchohol issue. I don't know.... I read this article early this am and I am still at a loss for words. I can well imagine the issues with mom go a whole lot deeper than this. But on the other hand it's a wonderful thing that there are good people out there that will take matters like this and deal with it properly by notifying the authorities.
I don't even like it when people leave their dogs in vehicals for a long period of time.
Do you all not see the part that they were alerted by the BABY CRYING?
Have you seen what a upset 5 month old can do in a car seat? They can flip out, suffocate because they are only able to inchworm along at that point, get caught up in the car seat straps...
And what sense of security will that child have in the future with a parent that abandons it all the time?
She probably was collecting support from an ex to pay for gym memberships. The child is not important to her as she expects many more to pay her way through life.
Sorry I have seen to much of this and it will continue in todays society. By working out she keeps her figure for the next fool that needs to get a little.
Personally I think she should be fixed as to not create any more unwanted children.
Pat
Billy G - I do not want to continue to attack your views on this, but seriously, come on! Yes, people are on the defensive for the "what-ifs" because that is what responsible people do - prepare for the worst. Would you ridicule a person who has an earthquake preparedness kit? And the odds of a severe enough earthquake occuring that a person would need that are significantly less than that of a child abduction, over/under-heating leading to death, etc. As for your friends who do this when their kids are sleeping or whatever, you may view them as good parents, but I have to disagree whole-heartedly. And if I were to ever see it myself, I would call and report them for it. Part of being a parent is being responsible for your children, even if that means taking them from a car while they are asleep and risking waking them and having to "put up" with the fact that they are awake. Welcome to parenthood! And I highly doubt that you would send your children out on a boat unsupervised, or to a possibly dangerous park without proper equipment! That being said, I think it is safe to say that there are many of us that will have to agree to disagree on this topic. Goodnight!
BTW - I have not just seen specials on TV, I lived it in the south. Children were dying on a weekly basis because of this type of neglect - in both cool and warm weather alike.
There is a fundamental problem with the parenting skills of a woman who thinks it is okay to leave a baby in a car for a long period of time, just as there is a fundamental difference between a five-month old infant who is learning to roll over and crawl and a 12-year old hiking in a park. It's not an over-reaction to point that out.
The woman (if found guilty), should serve whatever the penalty is for such a crime. And hopefully she will learn enough parenting and common-sense to not repeat such a dangerous act.
Better to Kill em before they turn into teen agers and kill you!
Billy- my point to asking you if you would leave your children with a complete stranger is THAT is exactly what you are doing when you leave a child unattended in a parking lot! You are trusting everyone around to be a good person. Well, wrong idea. I don't think you should be a nervous nelly when it comes to pointing out dangers to your kids, but why intentionally put your kids in a position to fail?
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