{united states} parents jailed after living in car with kids

[Romire]

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/828...-car-with-kids


Two parents have been arrested for child neglect after they were found living with three young children in their car at a US shopping centre carpark.

Justin Hamilton, 31, and his wife Kristin Harris, 26, were found last night (AEST) inside their 1987 Cadillac coupe outside a Walmart in Mount Dora, Florida.

The car was stuffed full with clothes, old food and rubbish, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Their three children reportedly were sleeping among the mess, which included old chicken bones, spoilt milk, tequila and illegal prescription drugs.

Their eldest daughter, whose age has not been given, was taken to hospital with second-degree sunburn.

Police allege the family had been living out of the car for days but the parents deny this.

"This breaks my heart," Hamilton told the newspaper from jail.

"I understand how this looks but it was a misunderstanding."

He claims the family were evicted from their home and were trying to move in with relatives.

They then had a falling out with their family — and decided to spend a night in the car but police found them after a few hours, Hamilton claimed.

He also said his daughter's sunburn had been caused by a day of paddle boating but he had sought medical advice and she was being treated.

The arrest will violate Hamilton's probation, after he was convicted of trying to sell cocaine in April, and both parents have been remanded after failing to post bail.

The oldest child remains in hospital while their two young sons, aged one and four, are staying with relatives.


this is sad to see whats happened to homeless familys, but i think arresting the parents was a tad much

[Larynx]

Really pathetic.

Why not devout resources to the people who rape, torture, beat or murder their kids instead of some homeless people?

[Zonas]

Really pathetic.

Why not devout resources to the people who rape, torture, beat or murder their kids instead of some homeless people?

Because, clearly, kids should live in dirty cars...

While their "story" could be true, finding trash and illegal drugs easily stabs a knife into it.

Though neglect does seem a bit odd for the charge, as the parents didn't seem to abandon them. Maybe child endangerment and possesion.

[Larynx]

Because, clearly, kids should live in dirty cars...

While their "story" could be true, finding trash and illegal drugs easily stabs a knife into it.

Though neglect does seem a bit odd for the charge, as the parents didn't seem to abandon them. Maybe child endangerment and possesion.

So you seriously believe that living in a dirty car is up there with "Rape, torture, beat or murder"?

People like you are disgusting.

[semaphore]

Really pathetic.

Why not devout resources to the people who rape, torture, beat or murder their kids instead of some homeless people?

Probably because it's different resources.

[Zonas]

So you seriously believe that living in a dirty car is up there with "Rape, torture, beat or murder"?

People like you are disgusting.

I was only commenting on your idea that things like this should be overlooked, only to save a few bucks to go towards somthing else.

It's clear that in their current condition that the children were in an unsafe enviroment, for a few days or a few hours, it's still dangerous. Should the parents not be held accountable for their mistakes because there are larger crimes being commited everyday?

Why you jump to such a large conclusion based off of my comment puzzles me slightly, then again, I really couldn't care less.

[Sunshine]

Keep the personal attacks out of here.


At the point when a child has second degree sunburn plus there's that magnitude of illegal substances and trash in the car, with parents who were previously convicted for drug use, then yes, I believe it should be taken care of. Will you tell the kids who are living in these conditions that it's fine and they should just put up with it?

If they were in the car in a safe environment (clean, no trash, no illegal drugs, no previous history of caregiver arrests for drugs), then I doubt they would have been arrested.

This isn't about them being homeless or in a car, it's about the environment. If they were living in a house in equivalent condition, the same thing would have happened.

[Imadraenei]

Their three children reportedly were sleeping among the mess, which included old chicken bones, spoilt milk, tequila and illegal prescription drugs.

Their eldest daughter, whose age has not been given, was taken to hospital with second-degree sunburn.The arrest will violate Hamilton's probation, after he was convicted of trying to sell cocaine in April, and both parents have been remanded after failing to post bail.

omfg GOVERNMENT OUT OF CONTROL, RAPE MURDER RAWR, WAR ON DRUGS

Seriously, anyone who is upset by this is missing out on the conditions their children are sleeping in. Even if you're homeless, there are trash cans in public places. How do you go about getting illegal prescription drugs if you're homeless, anyway?

This is pretty standard and nothing worth making a thread about.

[OnyxRayzor]

I've had second degree sunburns.. Blisters all over my arm and now I have all these dark spots now..

[Sugar275]

Their three children reportedly were sleeping among the mess, which included old chicken bones, spoilt milk, tequila and illegal prescription drugs.
Their eldest daughter, whose age has not been given, was taken to hospital with second-degree sunburn.

Enough for me to arrest them.

[Romire]

Come on guys keep it clean

[Strakha]

Not really a surprise, I'm sure worse stories get passed over for this kind of media fanfare. Where are the stories where parents are living in similar situations but they aren't buying tequila and illegal drugs?

Those I guess would be too real.

[Deleted]

Wow,
That is a pretty sad story for both the parents and the kids.
I hope i never get in this situation where my kids have to go trough like something similar

[Imadraenei]

Come on guys keep it clean

Say that to the parents of those kids.

[koodledrum]

Lets not lose sight of the last part, the guy is on PROBATION for selling COCAINE in April and has been busted with illegal prescription drugs, now i'm no expert, but shit, wouldn't that be a massive violation of the terms of his probation anyway, not to mention the fact if he's on probation don't the cops also have to know where he's living? The child neglect issue on its own was bad enough, but add on the secondary issues and frankly these kids need taken out of that environment and placed somewhere safe.