Life Is Just So Daily

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Is there no end? No, apparently there's not.

#1:

McKinney dad accused of leaving kids in car during Dallas strip club visit

11:43 AM CDT on Tuesday, April 13, 2010
By JUSTIN UMBERSON / The Dallas Morning News

A McKinney man faces child endangerment charges after leaving his toddler and infant alone in his car for an hour and a half while he visited a Dallas strip club, police said.

The dad





Michael Galloway's 9-month-old and 3-year-old were discovered late Friday by a tow truck driver across the street from Pandora's Men's Club in the 10600 block of Harry Hines Boulevard. The windows of the car were up and the doors were locked, said Senior Cpl. Kevin Janse, a Dallas police spokesman.

"He was illegally parked," Janse said. "The tow truck driver spotted it when he was making a routine check of the area."

Galloway, 36, initially told police he was in the club for 20 minutes, but witnesses said they saw him drinking between 10:15 and 11:15 p.m. He had alcohol on his breath when police took him into custody, said Janse, who noted that Galloway would have been arrested even if he'd left the children for 20 minutes.

Galloway's wife picked up their children. She declined to comment when contacted today.

Galloway was charged with two counts of endangering a child with intent to return. His bail was set at $10,000.

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This is just disturbing on many levels.
Many.

He's lucky that it was random-tow-truck-driver-guy who found his kids, ALIVE.

....his poor wife.

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#2:

Woman arrested in theft of SUV filled with children, taking them for a ride
Posted Tuesday, Apr. 13, 2010

By DEANNA BOYD

dboyd@star-telegram.com

FORT WORTH -- A 29-year-old woman accused of giving five children an unexpected ride late Monday afternoon when she stole their mother’s SUV faces charges of auto theft and abandoning/endangering a child, police said.

Beverly Bates:




Beverly L. Bates, 29, was being held in the Mansfield Jail Tuesday with bail set at $7,500. In addition, she is being held without bond on an outstanding forgery warrant, jail records show.

The children, girls ranging in age from 1 to 9, had been left alone temporarily inside their mother’s running Ford Expedition as the 33-year-old woman peeked into a rental house on Sargent Street about 5:15 p.m.

“The mother reportedly told investigators that she left the vehicle running so the children would have air conditioning,” said Sgt. Chad Mahaffey, a police spokesman. “She also told investigators that she thought she locked the SUV before walking away.”

According to a police report, the mother told police that she had seen a woman wearing a purple shirt walking behind her vehicle. The mother told police she had walked to the side of the house and upon walking back, discovered her vehicle, children and the woman missing.

The mother called 911. A police helicopter immediately began canvassing the area, leading to the discovery of four of the girls in the 4700 block of Panola Avenue, the report stated.

Police said Bates had apparently dropped off four of the children, two still in their cars seats, at the location before driving away with the fifth.

Minutes later, police found the SUV abandoned in a parking lot in the 5100 block of E. Rosedale Street with the fifth child still inside. The site was about two miles from the location where the vehicle had been stolen, police said.

Bates was arrested on an outstanding forgery warrant out of Robinson, Texas, near Waco, after she was spotted walking away from the SUV with its keys still in her possession, said Sgt. Chad Mahaffey, a police spokesman. She was interviewed by detectives and later booked into jail on the forgery warrant and in connection with the carjacking.

Tarrant County records show that Bates has multiple convictions dating back to 2000, including for theft, auto theft, forgery and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Mahaffey said that at this time, it does not appear the mother will be cited in the case.

“The happy ending here is nobody was hurt, the kids were recovered and the auto thief is in jail,” Mahaffey said.

“However, the teaching point is do not leave your keys in the car. Even if it’s for a small, short errand, do not leave the keys in your car. Do not the leave the car running. Take the extra time to get the kids out, take them with you, lock and secure the vehicle and take the keys and put them in your pocket or purse.”

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I think it's interesting here that the first teaching point mentioned is to take your KEYS with you; don't leave your KEYS in the car.
The most valuable thing stolen here were the children; not the keys, and not the car.

Even if the car weren't running, and even if the keys weren't in the car, the random criminal passing by posed a threat to those children.

I's just sayin'...

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5 Comments:

At 1:01 PM , Blogger Beth said...

Keep saying it - keep reminding the world. Far too many people need to hear this.

 
At 5:57 PM , Blogger Kate said...

You're doing a good thing by reminding people of this.

 
At 8:33 AM , Blogger Just Jiff said...

I do NOT run errands that require me to leave my vehicle with my 2 year old in the car. The closest thing is when I have to get gas. I take the keys out of the car and lock the doors while I am standing there pumping gas. If I have to pay with cash then she goes in with me. No exceptions.

I am terrified of someone stealing my boring car with my beautiful daughter in it.

 
At 11:24 AM , Blogger Pregnantly Plump said...

Wow. That's all I can even think to write. The other day I needed to deposit checks and I thought how great it was that banks and pharmacies have drive-thrus. That way I don't have to lug both boys out and try to control Little Elvis while holding a heavy carseat loaded with Baby Plum.
I agree, if I can't run an errand with both of them with me, then it doesn't get done. I'll wait until Bob or my mother can watch them. As for that father, wow. I can't even imagine how angry his wife must be.

 
At 1:11 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

That just makes me sick! Ugh!

 

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