Children Left in Hot Car While Mother Shoplifts
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Posted: 7:12 PM Jul 17, 2010
Children Left in Hot Car While Mother Shoplifts
A baby was hospitalized after being left in a hot car while his mother was inside a grocery store, where she has been accused of shoplifting.
Reporter: The Associated Press
Email Address: news@wsaz.com
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WHITESBURG, Ky. (AP) -- Whitesburg Police say a baby was hospitalized after being left in a hot car while his mother was inside a grocery store, where she has been accused of shoplifting.

WYMT-TV reports 32-year-old Purlina Gibson, of Dry Fork, left 5- and 6-year-old children with a 2-month old baby in a car for half an hour on Friday evening while she went into a local grocery store.

The children were rescued after their mother was stopped for shoplifting.

The baby, which had been covered with a blanket, was taken to the Whitesburg ARH Hospital, where he was in stable condition Friday night.

Gibson was taken to Letcher County Jail where she faces charges that include wanton endangerment and criminal abuse.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Cheap Car on Jul 26, 2010 at 05:59 AM

I have two children, and will ALWAYS take them in with me if I had to get gas while they were with me. Its just laziness and impractical this day and age not to do so.
Posted by: me on Jul 24, 2010 at 09:20 AM

Hqw does everyone know she stole food? There's lots of other stuff in the store, maybe she was stealing diapers, or shampoo or something else, regardless of what she stole the fact she left those kids out in a hot car is down right stupid there is no excuse for leaving those kids in the car, get a babysitter!!!!
Posted by: Mom in WV on Jul 21, 2010 at 05:58 PM

Again, still agree that this was BAD judgment on the part of this mother. But regarding the blanket covering the infant, we don't know if the mother placed this, or if siblings took this simple action. If our society simply "confiscates" children from parents who make mistakes, are we accomplishing a good goal? Mother to jail, children to foster care . . . we can hope that children are safe and not separated. Mother to counseling, parent education, family monitored by community . . . now we have produced a more qualified parent. When we shift the raising of children to the state, their parents often have more children and make the same mistakes again. I think someone needs to evaluate this situation specifically and consider appropriate action to keep these children safe. The children may need to be removed from the home long-term, but that should not be a knee-jerk decision based on this report. Let's take the report seriously and protect children safety AND family.
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