R.I.P. Scout26
In the months that followed, I pieced together what had happened. A stranger saw me leave my son in the car or came upon him after I’d gone into the store. They recorded him playing his game. They recorded my license plate. They recorded me driving away. At some point they called the police. Someone must have filed a complaint. But what kind of complaint? Had I endangered my child? Had I broken a law? It didn’t seem to matter. All that mattered was that someone thought they had seen a child in danger and had said something — not to me, but to the authorities.
As soon as I returned home, I spoke with a lawyer, who did his best to persuade the police that I was a good mom who’d had a momentary lapse in judgment, with no history of abuse or neglect. The police wouldn’t tell him whether they planned to press charges — I’d just have to wait and see. And so that was what I did.
Virginia, like most states, has few guidelines about how closely parents are expected to supervise their children. As a result, I was charged not with leaving my son in the car, but with the misdemeanor of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
What was the danger?What lapse in judgment?How does leaving a 4-year old playing with his toys in any way contribute to delinquency?
Word is, she left a Pop-tart in the car. The kid was just finishing the trigger assembly when the authorities arrived.Scary stuff.
I'll admit: there have been several times I've seen a child left alone in a car, and planted myself nearby to keep an eye on things. But never felt the need to call the police
