We have repeatedly dealt with stories of parents who leave their children in cars while they gamble or party (here) or even commit criminal acts(here). This week, another such arrest was made near our school but this one involves clearly affluent parents who left their two toddlers — a 22-month-old boy and a slightly older girl — in a gray Volvo wagon while they went to a wine tasting at the upscale restaurant Ris. I hope the wine bouquet was satisfying because “the finish” was rough. They were both arrested and now face two counts of attempted second-degree cruelty to children, which carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
Christopher (“Christophe”) Daniel Lucas told police that he left an iPhone in the car with an open connection to the children’s mother, Jennie Teresa Chang. However, police say that the girl was crying hysterically and that the temperature was 35 degrees in a car that was turned off with no heat.
The car was left around a corner from the restaurant and around 400 feet from the door in a major traffic area. The manager said that the couple had been wine tasting for about an hour when police arrived.
Lucas, 41, and Chang, 46, own a $1 million rowhouse near Dupont Circle. They actually live 10 minutes from the restaurant and insisted that they were going out to check on the kids.
The court released the couple but they are being denied access to their children.
Notably, Washington seems to be on a theme regarding parenting and the criminal code. We just discussed a question of whether parents should be charged for allowing their children to walk home alone.
The question is what should the punishment be in such a case. Incarceration or a permanent loss of the children seem unduly harsh even though their actions were clearly outrageous and dangerous. However, forcing the children into foster homes would not necessarily be in their best interests if there are no other indications of endangerment or any abuse. That would leave probation and forced counseling or classes. That might seem too light for some people or the court.
What do you think?
Source: FOX DC
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothermia/basics/definition/con-20020453
“Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F (37 C). Hypothermia (hi-poe-THUR-me-uh) occurs as your body temperature passes below 95 F (35 C).”
you were the one who cited the Mayo Clinic, paul.
pete – the problem is we have two temperature scales and two temperatures that are being monitored. The ambient temperature was 35 degrees. My contention has been that a drunk Cheesehead could survive in this would any problem and a moving, crying baby was not freezing.
Inga,
Sib had an almost identical problem on a later flight to 38,000 feet. Gliders don’t have heaters.
Chuck, amazing woman! What a fascinating life she led and what a beauty she was. So her temp at 96 degrees made her feel quite ill, didn’t help that she had hypoxia either. Great story of that flight! And those lenticular clouds, wow.
Inga,
Maybe they ought to go back and read the account of my friend Sabrina Jackintell.
http://jonathanturley.org/2013/09/08/remarkable-people-sabrina-jackintell-a-woman-for-all-seasons/
So Pogo, how do you treat a patient with a core body temp of 35 degrees F? Stick ’em in the microwave to defrost? 😀
Pogo, I guess it’s OK with you that Paul it’s telling everyone here that hypothermia starts at a core body temp of 35F. Science not on the top of the conservative priority list I gues, lol.
Inga, make yourself another paper badge with Hello Kittty stickers.
Paul, maybe this will make it clearer for you.
If the core body temp were 35 degrees F, it would stand to reason that the extremities would be frozen solid and the trunk would be partially frozen. I take it you didn’t read the article I linked to that stated a little girl was found outside with a core body temp of 57, her limbs were frozen solid, yet her core temp was still at 57F. If her core temp would have gotten all the way down to 35 degrees Fahrenheit she would be like a slab of frozen meat with the center not quite frozen yet. Get it?
No Paul. Hypothermia starts when the core body temp is 95 degrees Farenheit, which is 35 degrees Celsius. We went over this already. You are getting Celcius and Fahrenheit mixed up. If the body temp was 35 degrees Farenheit, the outer body would be frozen. What aren’t you getting about this?
Jeez Pogo, can’t you set your fellow conservative straight? You’re a doc for pity sake.
The human body is both frail and resilient. A curious thing.
We seem designed to survive even terrible parenting.
How very strange; bad parents are often better then no parents or government-enforced parents.
I was separated from my father because someone in a movie theatre suspected I was not his daughter. Told the manager, manager called police, even though my brother, 14, was telling them he was our father and I was screaming and crying they took me away. I was in a room at the police station
until they reached my mother and she came and got us both. They wouldn’t let my brother and me be together. I hope my Dad sued, I was too young to understand.
You know who is suffering the most from this? The kids. They think they did something wrong and that’s why they’ve been taken away. I hope a family member got there soon. The parents should have been with them until someone else arrived to take them home.
Removing those kids from their parents is the worst thing for the kids. Put them first! They did nothing wrong and deserve the comfort of their parents.
Volvos require a specialized dealer or mechanic to fix or even to do minor maintenance. Those are usually found in the urban areas which are also generally left/democrat leaning. Hence the perception of ownership demographics.. However, they are really very good cars and quite reliable and stylish.
Our vehicles don’t have political leanings. They exist to get us back and forth, can be worked on without having to have a computer degree…locally, parts are available locally or through on line sources.
I guess it could said to be confirmed that I’m cold hearted……my normal temperature is 97.4 or so 🙂 If I’m running 98.6…..I’m sick.
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/As-Freezing-Persons-Recollect-the-Snow–First-Chill–Then-Stupor–Then-the-Letting-Go.html
Her limbs were frozen solid”, her core temp 57. She lived, which is rare at that temp. At a core temp of 35 the extremities would be frozen, the trunk mostly frozen.
Nick,
“When you drive Volvos most everyone assumes you’re a Dem.”
Awww…but Volvos are cool (have never owned one, though) and I’m neither a Dem or a Republican! 🙂 I loved my Subaru Forester, too. Is that a politically-leaning car?
98.6, lol.
Jesus Paul. The normal temp is 98.3.
And frozen.
Inga – in my physics course we learned that things do not freeze until 32 F. They would be very very cold but not frozen.
Paul, I new you would say this very exact thing, hilarious! For their CORE temp to be down to 35 their body would be frozen. Starting with extremities and working its way inward. I guess you don’t know it all after all.
Inga – at 35 degrees parts of them would be cold but not frozen. You are correct that the body conserves heat for the core. It is when the core get to 35 degrees that hypothermia sets in. Which is why I asked how they were dressed.
You’re right Pete, core temps at 95 is hypothermic. If the kids core temp was 35 F they’d be dead.
paul, according to the mayo clinic website it’s 35 degrees Celsius or 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
pete – at 95 degrees F they are pushing for heat stroke.