Tragedy or Murder??

Child found dead in vehicle in Freescale parking lot Police do not suspect foul play and are calling the boy's death a 'tragedy.' By Andrea Lorenz

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Austin police were investigating the death of a child found in a parked vehicle Wednesday at Freescale Semiconductor on West Parmer Lane.

Someone saw the child in the vehicle, which was parked in Freescale's north parking lot, and called 911 at 4:22 p.m., officer Dennis Farris said.

Police said the child was an Asian boy under 5 years old. Farris did not give the child's exact age. He said homicide detectives are investigating, but no charges have been filed and they don't suspect foul play. An autopsy has been ordered, he said.

"It's just a tragedy at this point," Farris said.

Farris said one of the child's parents left the child in the vehicle, and police are questioning both parents.

Police did not know how long the child was left in the vehicle, "but it was an extended period of time," Farris said.

The temperature in Austin on Wednesday reached 102 degrees.

Farris said there is a child care center at the complex, but he didn't know whether the child attended the center or whether either parent was a Freescale employee.

Don't suspect foul play? Is that what I read above? How could this not be foul play? I've seen people on talk shows who said that it was an accident that they left their child in a child on "accident". How does that happen? One lady in particular claimed that her schedule was routine - she did things the same way EVERY DAY. Her husband usually took the children to school but this day she had to take her youngest to daycare.. For some reason, after leaving the house, she followed her normal course without even thinking/remembering that her kid was in the back seat. She got out the car, locked it and went in to work.. After returning to her car after her shift was over, she then "noticed" her child - dead in the back seat.. WTF? Since this day was out of the ordinary, wouldn't you think that special attention would have been paid to the less than routine day? I don't know how folks minds works these days...

If nothing else counts as "foul play" shouldn't the fact that neither of the parents of this 5 year old boy in the story above work for the company where the child was found? Although it says that there was a daycare IN the company, it probabbly doesn't make it any cheaper to have your children there. (On a side note, I believe more companys should have daycare options available for their employees. Anywho...)

The story also said that it was a steamy 102 outside yesterday!! It fails to mention how hot the inside of the car was when the boy was found. It wouldn't surprise me if it was above 120 in there. That in itself, to me, is foul play...

I know, I know... Someone reading this is either going to say or is thinking "I leave my kids in the car all the time to just run into a store." That situation is not what we are talking about here, although since the point is raised might as well discuss it.. lol... I disagree with that too. There are sooo many different things that could happen in JUST AN INSTANT. So many variables: air condition on or off, car running or not, automatic locks or not, age of children, located in a "good" part of town or not, type of car, etc... It just shouldn't be done. It will be better for you, the environment and your children to NOT leave the car running at all, let alone leaving your children unattended in a car for any period of time.