Posted on 07/31/2007 6:36:54 PM PDT by aomagrat
HANAHAN, S.C. (AP) — Two small children who had been left in a hot car while their mother was at work were later found dead, their bodies in trash bags under an apartment sink, authorities said Tuesday.
Autopsies were scheduled Tuesday to determine the causes of death of 1-year-old girl Triniti Campbell and 4-year-old Shawn Campbell Jr., Berkeley County Deputy Coroner George Oliver said.
The children's mother, Sametta Heyward, 27, had taken them to work Monday in downtown Charleston and left them in her car all day as the temperature outside rose to 88 degrees, Oliver said.
Officers investigating a report of a disturbance at Heyward's apartment Monday night and found her crying and yelling, "'Oh, my babies,"' according to an incident report.
A man holding Heyward told officers "the kids were in trash bags and under the cabinet." The police report said Heyward tried to bite and kick the officers, had to be restrained, and was taken to a hospital because medics thought she could be having seizures.
"She stated she wanted to die and asked officers to kill her," the report said.
Hanahan Police Chief Don Wilcox said investigators have not been able to talk to the woman because she was advised by an attorney not to say anything.
"We're trying to run down the timeline, as well as get any physical evidence, so we can determine exactly what took place," Wilcox said.
Neighbor Brandon Coving said he saw Heyward and the children on Sunday. "They were running around, and she had a big smile on her face, and it seemed like a regular day," he said.
Coving lived about eight doors down from Heyward on the second floor of The Willows, a two-story apartment complex with cranberry red doors. There are 44 units at the complex, which resembles a motel.
Apartment manager Ricky Dyson said the 252 square-foot apartment had a queen bed, a small bathroom and an efficiency kitchen.
He said Heyward moved there in May and said she wasn't going to stay long and was looking for another place.
"She was just a regular working girl out there making a living," Dyson said.
Yellow police tape was put up along the door to Heyward's apartment, but there were no officers around at midday Tuesday. A small white teddy bear had been placed outside the apartment.
Hanahan is about 15 miles north of Charleston.
Those innocent children. It’s mind boggling.
I’m not in any way cutting her a break, she should be prosecuted, etc. But, I’m sure what happened is she thought they would be ok (she’s probably not the smartest bulb in the chandalier) and when she discovered they were dead, she panicked, and tried to hide them. I suspect she does indeed feel regret that they died.
None of that (to me) means she shouldn’t be prosecuted, but I can see how it happened. And she should never ever be allowed to have another child to endanger.
susie
The problem is that too often child care is not affordable. So low-income working mothers are forced into this type of situation, taking their small children to work and leaving them in the car.
Women in these situations need to give up their children to foster care or adoption so that higher-income people can raise the children.
Here comes the 'Justice Brothers' to DEMAND free child care centers to be provided by every city, every county and every employer.
There’s a lot of information about this incident at the following link:
http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/story/2007/7/31/153411/700
You are, of course, kidding me.
Right?
You got me good on this one.
Right?
You are, of course, kidding me.
Right?
You got me good on this one.
Right?
“The problem is that too often child care is not affordable. So low-income working mothers are forced into this type of situation, taking their small children to work and leaving them in the car.
Women in these situations need to give up their children to foster care or adoption so that higher-income people can raise the children.”
it sure would help if daddy would stick around.
What the hell is happening to our country?
So what the hell did the SCOTUS approve abortions?
America is in a downward spiral, thanks to all libs!!!
To: Scotswife: Well, if the father leaves, what do you suggest should be done?
The most rational solution is probably this: children ought to be taken out of custody of single working mothers earning less than a living wage, and put in foster homes or given to adoption agencies.
That way, situations like these won’t arise.
The following link has information about the incident.
http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/story/2007/7/31/153411/700
I wasn’t trying to dispute what you said, I’m just making an observation.
This past month I’ve been reading heartbreaking story after heartbreaking story.
And the common denominator in most cases is that dads aren’t sticking around.
When dad leaves - terrible things happen.
Where is the father?
The federal government has all types of paid child care for low income people.
This story doesn’t smell quite right. I can see a 1 year old, but 4 year olds can get themselves out of car seats and out of cars. I’m not sure I’m buying her story.
Man, talk about your nanny government! Sound soviet to me.
“The federal government has all types of paid child care for low income people.”
If you’re making extremely low income, there’s sometimes government-subsidised child care available. But if you’re making moderately low income, you are often in a bind. You lose the paid child care, but you don’t make enough to afford private child care.
We have a bingo!
If it were a “clinic sink” rather than an “apartment sink,” it would not have been illegal.
I’m guessing these cases are more like post birth abortions.
“Went to your site, it doesn’t have jack about this story and it was a waste of time.”
It’s not *my* site, by the way.
The site is:
http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/story/2007/7/31/153411/700
And the information is after the “fold”.
GEEEEZ!!
“The most rational solution is probably this: children ought to be taken out of custody of single working mothers earning less than a living wage, and put in foster homes or given to adoption agencies.”
To people like you, there’s no problem which can’t be solved by gov’t.
Your solution is ridiculous. FR has been overrun by nanny-staters like you.
I think this is some of that "new direction" stuff that the 'RATS were pimping prior to the last election.
“Well, if the father leaves, what do you suggest should be done?”
Well, they could do what my mom did; she worked three jobs to afford a babysitter. Of course, that would require something like personal responsibility, so it’s probably not really possible.
Stick around? After the free sex?
Why?
“When dad leaves - terrible things happen.”
No disputing that.
But what makes you believe that there was anything other than an anonymous sperm donor in this situation?
Single moms often occur because women get pregnant out of wedlock (which seems to be increasingly socially acceptable).
Many times it has nothing to do with a father not sticking around: they don’t even know who the father is.
Well, it's the same situation if you're making a moderately high income. I don't qualify for ANY government handouts, and I sure as hell can't afford "private child care." That's why my wife and I raise our children. It's much easier to do with a partner, a hard-won bit of wisdom casually discarded by the modern progressive ethos.
“The most rational solution is probably this: children ought to be taken out of custody of single working mothers earning less than a living wage, and put in foster homes or given to adoption agencies.”
“To people like you, there’s no problem which can’t be solved by gov’t.”
Adoption is a government solution? How? Last time I checked, private couples adopt, not the government.
is there no end to man’s inhumanity toward children?
“That’s why my wife and I raise our children. It’s much easier to do with a partner, a hard-won bit of wisdom casually discarded by the modern progressive ethos.”
What should those women who have been divorced or widowed do? Any thoughts about this?
Ignore him, he’s a troll.
This is the gubmint solution part:
children ought to be taken out of custody of single working mothers
Who did you think would do the “taking”? David Bowie?
My grandma was divorced and raised 3 kids on her own, during the depression, in Alabama, when it was MUCH harder than it is today for a woman to make a living. Somehow she managed without neglecting or abusing her kids. Get a grip, buddy.
What should they do? How the hell should I know? Make do the best they can, I guess. Count on family or friends. join a church and contribute to a church community? What they would get in return would astound them.
Is YOUR only solution to run to the government?
The culture of abortion rears its ugly head (again)...
We have a troll here.
You posting from party headquarters in red china?
"And if you have a child and then become low-income, the child should be taken away and given up for adoption."
Are you a former official from the Pol Pot regime that escaped prosecution?
I can’t imagine what the little girls went through. One of them dies, and the other one is crying for her sister’s death, and then she fades away. I’ve got two baby girls, and I can’t even “go there” in my thinking. How very, very sad.
Women in these situations need to give up their children to foster care or adoption so that higher-income people can raise the children.”
_____________________
No, women in these situations need to be neutered.
Responsibility for ones actions. Simple.
I'm going to give you credit here and just assume you're making a bad joke.
This isn't red china. It's America.
Americans of any economic circumstances are free to have as many children as they want. They are also responsible for every last decision they make.
There are no excuses for leaving children in a death trap like a hot car. And no government has any business telling Americans whether they can produce and raise children.
Investigators found a note Heyward left at her apartment, explaining that she had arranged for a baby sitter, but when plans fell through she took the children with her in the car to work in downtown Charleston Townhall.com
This sounds less like a case of not being able to afford child care and more like a case where the baby sitter didn't show.
Yes, child neglect and child abuse are crimes that exist only amongst the poor. We must remove these children now. / sarc
By the way, if I was in the position where I could not come up with $169 I would make damn sure I didn't get pregnant.
“This sounds less like a case of not being able to afford child care and more like a case where the baby sitter didn’t show.”
As
http://scoop.epluribusmedia.org/story/2007/7/31/153411/700
writes:
“At the previous minimum wage, she would have brought home $206/week before taxes. She had a 60x14 ft. mobile home, but she didn’t have the $169.75 to pay the taxes on it and it was sold by Charleston County. If she was lucky, she got a respectable one-bedroom apartment for $590/month. That works out to $136.15 per week in rent, leaving her $69.85 per week for ALL OTHER EXPENSES - food - utilities - phone - gas - car - insurance - clothes - for her and her two children. Even if she qualified for and received state and Federal assistance for these expenses, under $70 a week is not enough money to pay for child care for a 1- and 4-year old.
“I picture her asking friends, family, neighbors to help out with her two children. I picture those people helping her whenever they could. But there came a day when no one was available to watch these two kids. Sametta couldn’t take them into work with her, and she couldn’t leave them alone. She didn’t figure it would be so hot that day, and she knew tht if she didn’t show up for work - at best - she would lose a day’s work and money to eat; and, at worst - she would lose the job entirely. So she figured that leaving the kids in the car was the only option she had. And so she did.
“I repeat: this is just speculation on my part. It’s difficult to envision a rational person leaving her two young children in a car period, et alone during the summertime in South Carolina. I’m not defending leaving chidren in cars. I’m not defending even the mildest form of neglect of child.
“But let’s face it - these kinds of trade-offs are going on every day (and right this moment) in America. Despite the incessant touting of our “strong economy”, the number of people and particularly children below the poverty level is growing. Real wages are not growing. The cost of living is growing. More people, and particularly children, are going without basic health care.
“So I ask you: are the Sametta’s of this world simply bad parents or are they being placed in positions where a bad choice is their best option? “
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