DATE & TIME: 12/12/2011 at 1942 hours C C. NUMBER: 11-54-008642
LOCATION: Dawn Court Salisbury, MD
BRIEF RESUME:
On the above date and time, Troopers from the Salisbury Barrack were dispatched to an address on Dawn Court for a 911 hang up. Both the 911 dispatchers and the State Police Duty Officer contacted the residence and learned that there were several young children home alone. Responding Troopers located three children ages eight, nine and eleven that were home alone. The children related that they had come home after school by themselves as their mother works evenings at Tysons’ poultry in Temperanceville, Virginia. Troopers noted the children had cooked their own dinner which consisted of only french fries cooked in the oven. The children stated that they had turned on the electric oven to heat the house as there was no other heat source in the entire house. An adult family member of the children was contacted and they responded to the residence and took custody of the children. The children’s mother, later identified as the suspect Fayetta Collick, was contacted to respond back to her residence. She was placed under arrest and transported to the Wicomico County Central Booking Unit pending a hearing before a District Court Commissioner.
Arrested: Fayetta Collick age 40 of Dawn Court, Salisbury MD
Charges: 1. Three counts of Child Neglect
2. Two counts of Leaving an unattended child
3. Three counts of Contributing to the condition of a minor
4. Three counts of Child abuse
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
12 comments:
Wow, what do you do here? she's trying her ass off working to keep the lights on and failing. Is she a criminal? Arresting her and jail will guarantee she loses her job and what home she was trying to make for the kids. What are we doing here? Punishing trying? Are we here to make sure everyone is beaten down to accept food stamps, medicaid, and equal housing? Trying to get ahead is frowned upon.
Sh!t.
What is the age that you can leave a child home alone?
A child under the age of eight needs to be watched by someone over the age of 13.
8:37, I'm with you on this. This is one of the thousands upon thousands of tragic stories that could be told as our country experiences these difficult times. The mother was trying to survive, doing what so many of us advise poor people to do: Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. She was trying to provide for her kids by working a menial job rather than collect unemployment. As 8:37 observes, she's now in jail and will be without a job and probably without her children. I am a Republican, but I guess to many reading this that I come off as a bleeding heart liberal. How tragic it is that this happens in America, the richest country in the world.
To make matters even worse the court commissioner gave her a 150,000 dollar bond before the judge released her on her own recognize.
Ok, am I reading something wrong or is everyone else??? Did it not say that the children were unattended, turned on an oven to make their own food and to heat the house? Didn't the article say that she worked nights and not days? N u people see nothing wrong with that because she was trying to make a living?? Wtf!
intresting, So if a child under 8 needs to be watched by a 13 yo or older, who watches a 9 yo?
When I googled the legal age that a child can be left alone it's saying its 8 years old in Maryland. You have to be 13 if you are watching a child under 8. Since all these children were over 8 I don't know how the mothers actions were illegal. Can someone enlighten me as to why this was illegal?
I think what may be catching this mom in the butt, is the fact that they turned on the oven and only where having french fries for dinner. I leave my l1 year old home for very short spurts, and will begin giving my son who will be 8 next month tiny moments home by hisself. The rules are, they are not allowed to operate the oven, microwave or anything for cooking purposes at all. My 11 year old will call me when she walks in the door, and i let her know that i am 15 mins from home or such. If I am longer, she and I check in with one another, but I myself am not comfortable with leaving her for more than an hour. I myself, would not be comfortable with my 8 year old staying for hours and hours at all. I pray this all works out for her.
How, about providing food, heat. The mother was at work an hour and a half away. Its no wonder kids end up they way they are. There is never ending cycle with society. These kids are fighting an up hill battle and will most likely end up just like their parents. Are these kids expected to do their homework, brush their teeth and put themselves to bed at a proper hour so they can be rested to be able to excel in school. There is always more to the story that can not be put in a press release. Wait till it goes to court and all of the issues are brought out.
I agree with 8:37, but to an extent. The proble that I have is that I don't think the 11 y/o is capable of taking care of everyone especially since they don't have the "tools" to do so. Such as: no heat (an oven is too dangerous); no adequate food; no family or caretaker close to them; and the mother working so far away. I do feel sympathy for the mom trying to support her family, but then again my children's SAFETY comes first. BUT AT LEAST SHE HAS A JOB!!
An eleven year old child can cook dinner -- even a much more complicated dinner than warming up french fries.
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