Robert Aragon, 55, and Kenneth Quintana (shown left), 29, have been arrested in Idaho for the second-degree murder and felony injury to a child after he allowed 11-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy to attempt a 10-mile walk to their mother’s house on Christmas Day. Sage Aragon, 11 (shown right with Robert Aragon), died in the attempt. A criminal charge is but the case would have been more properly charged as a manslaughter and abuse case.
Aragon and Quintana allowed the children to make the attempt to reach their mother’s house after their 1988 Buick Century got stuck in a snowdrift. They eventually returned to Aragon’s house. Aragon, however, only made it four mile before turning back.
Quintana was also the subject of drug charges for his possession of marijuana, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
This was an outrageous decision by these men who deserve to be punished. However, parental negligence is increasingly being treated as murder, a trend that I have criticized in the past. I have less sympathy here but the case does seem more like a manslaughter case rather than a second-degree murder case.
This may be manslaughter, but this so-called father did more than just make an outrageous decision. He failed to take care of the most important people in his life. His own kids. His only thoughts were of himself. That is criminal.
I too, think this case is manslaughter. What would ever make a parent think that letting children walk anywhere in such weather is okay?
I feel sorry for the families involved in this tragedy!