A Texas mother was taken into custody Tuesday after police alleged her 22-month-old child died when she left the infant in a car outside a Corpus Christi school on one of the hottest days of the year.

The mother, 33-year-old Hilda Ann Adame, was jailed on charges of causing serious bodily injury to a child and child endangerment/abandonment with imminent bodily injury, according to a Corpus Christi Police Department incident report.

It was not clear how long the infant had been in the car before the baby was found unresponsive, according to the incident report.

  • Kit
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    3 months ago

    This shit is so sad. I watched a video a few years ago explaining how exhaustion can lead to something like this happening, and it went into detail on how the brain tricks you into thinking that you really did drop your child off at daycare or wherever. It’s terrifying and tragic.

    • sik0fewl@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      I read a really good Op-Ed or magazine article a while ago (last few years) that dove into the subject, including the things you mention. Super heartbreaking and hard to simply blame the parent. Wish I could find it again, just so I could share it in threads like these.

          • ramirezmike@programming.dev
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            3 months ago

            it’s a really long article that goes into depth on the issue with a lot of anecdotes and research. The gist of it is though that while these people have committed negligence, it happens to people who are otherwise not negligent. It can really happen to anyone, all it takes is some stress or unexpected plans changing.

            People should be aware of how easy it can happen to anyone and not pass it off as just bad parents getting what they deserve.

            • Transporter Room 3@startrek.website
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              3 months ago

              unexpected plans changing.

              This is the biggest one I’ve seen.

              “Oh X needs to be at Y today so the person who usually takes them to daycare is unavailable, can you take them?”

              And then you’re on autopilot, going to work like you do every day. Your body can be trained to do certain things automatically, with basically no mental input on your side. You never take the kid to daycare because your schedule. Then the ONE DAY that your routine changes… It’s one of the most important things you need to keep in mind.

              Ever pulled your car into a spot and thought to yourself “wait I don’t remember stopping at any lights HOLY SHIT DID I JUST RUN EVERY RED” but the truth is, no. You did not. Either they are so routine to stop at that you don’t notice on autopilot, or there WERE no reds. You are not a bad or negligent driver. You were on autopilot.

              Autopilot doesn’t understand change.

              • ramirezmike@programming.dev
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                3 months ago

                exactly! it’s crazy, like you’re conscious but your mind isn’t recording. And then without that record to reflect on, it’s easy to forget things.

              • seang96@spgrn.com
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                2 months ago

                When I drop my kid off I always text some cute thing he did or something but also indicating he is at daycare and when I go in auto even though I drop the kid off and don’t text, I’ll get a text asking about him by the time I’m at work. Its kinda like the whole Japan pointing and calling method they use for safety.

    • Samvega
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      3 months ago

      Arrested by who, everyone is dead.

      We need to invent immortal robot overlords to keep arresting people after we’re gone, clearly.

  • EherNicht@feddit.org
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    3 months ago

    This is another c/fuckcars post right there. If they would have walked/cycled/used transit this couldn’t have happened.

      • ayyy@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        Because it’s extremely fucked up to assume the person had a choice. Do you generally go around impoverished countries telling children they were stupid for choosing to be born in such a poor area?

      • AlligatorBlizzard@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        I’m all in on the fuck cars thing. I’ve wanted to get involved locally advocating for improved public transit and bike lanes. It’s affected how I’ve ranked local candidates while voting.

        That said, this happened in Texas. The vast majority of that state is so carbrained that there aren’t any viable alternatives to driving right now, and for a mother with kids it’s so far away it’d take decades of work even if all of the Texas government woke up tomorrow and dedicated themselves to alternatives to cars. I don’t drive and I live in one of the best cities for cyclists in the US and I’d still find it tough to go without a car if I had kids.

        In context the fuck cars comment just kinda comes across as victim blamey, tbh.

        • brianary@startrek.website
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          3 months ago

          That argument applies to virtually the entire country, zoned specifically to sell cars, with few recent exceptions. I’m not blaming the mom for that situation, I’m not sure why anyone would think that. This is just another death that seems to at least partially implicate big oil, big auto, and corrupt politicians.

  • watson387@sopuli.xyz
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    3 months ago

    Completely avoidable. This should NEVER happen. That woman SHOULD be in prison.

    Edit: Wow. Wasn’t expecting all the downvotes but I’m sticking to my guns on this one. If your child neglect results in the death of the child you should absolutely go to prison.

    • db0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      3 months ago

      Most of these things are accidents due to exhaustion from the systemic grind. You don’t know nearly enough to talk like that.

    • catloaf@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      Avoidable yes, should never happen yes, but what purpose does prison serve here?

    • Samvega
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      3 months ago

      You conclusion does not follow from the premises. Please develop your abilities to reason using syllogisms.

    • Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works
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      3 months ago

      Shouldn’t happen in modern cars, keep a running thermal sensor, weight and accelerometer sensor in seat, send alert if weight remains and any accelormeter activity when temp above danger threshold. I do not think this is required but should be.

  • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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    3 months ago

    I don’t get how this keeps happening. Kids, dogs, adults, nobody should be left in a hot car. It’s not a freakin’ mystery, it happens all the time!

      • jordanlund@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Best solution I heard to this is to take something you’ll need… wallet, keys, phone, and stick it in the car seat with the baby.

        No forgetting.