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Guy steals running car on Dorchester Avenue - with little girl inside
By adamg on Mon, 02/17/2020 - 11:08pm
WCVB reports the thief drove to Randolph and let the 5-year-old girl out, then took off again.
Sources told 5 Investigates that the girl's father had run into a store and had left the car running and the girl in the back seat when the vehicle was stolen.
Boston Police report they are continuing to look for the car, a silver 2007 Accord with tinted windows and Mass plates of US117D.
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Comments
running car outside store
My local corner store gets a stream of customers in the morning stocking up on coffee, cigarettes and snacks for the commute to work. Their cars left running outside within view from the window. No problem. Leaving a child in that car would be a big no-no in my book!
My book just says not to take
My book just says not to take cars with other people's kids in them.
My book says both
Don't leave a living creature locked in a car, and don't take a car (or a living creature, for that matter).
Bad idea for many reasons
A 5 year old can usually unsnap themselves from the seat. A running car can be knocked into gear if said 5 year old unstraps, climbs forward to grab a toy or get a better look at a dog, or ... whatever gets in their head.
When my kids were young, I sometimes left them in the car in view on a mild day to run in somewhere, but never, ever with the car running.
THIS
There are no specific laws against leaving a kid in a running car unattended in Massachusetts, but even my parents thought it was a really bad idea 50+ years ago. It isn't even about thieves, but about basic lock out/tag out of heavy equipment!
I wonder if this will push legislators to finally make it illegal in MA? Other states have specific laws, but MA puts it under general child neglect on a case by case basis.
Running car mishaps with kids
https://www.kidsandcars.org/how-kids-get-hurt/vehicles-set-in-motion/
Actually, it is a problem. It
Actually, it is a problem. It's against state law to leave an unattended vehicle running. Then there is the air and noise pollution. So shut your damn car off. You can survive if it's not 80 degrees inside, babies.
The father should be facing multiple charges.
What exactly should the father be charged with?
He stole nothing, nor broke no actual law. His car was stolen and his child was inadvertently kidnapped. Perhaps he should have locked the doors to the car, but that is between him and his insurance company.
Are you going to charge him with "idling?" Or are you suggesting that he should be charged with having his child stolen while the child was momentarily out of his sight?
Child neglect
A car is a piece of heavy equipment than can do a lot of damage.
Leaving a small child in one alone, with the engine running, is a recipe for disaster absent thieves.
I don't think the dad should be prosecuted but he should be required to answer for his choices, such as taking a parenting class.
You should face the father
You should face the father and say that, but, you definitely won't.
Incorrect again Kinopio
The law actually states that an unattended vehicle can be left running for under 5 minutes.
News reports are stating the father was in the restaurant for under 5 minutes. You say the father should face multiple charges. Maybe he should, but if the news reports are accurate, leaving the car running for under 5 minutes is not one of them.
In the past you have called people who use vehicles "criminals" and "murderers".
Please stop. Your frequent rants against use of vehicles do not contribute to any useful dialog.
When criminals stop murdering with cars
And start getting consequences for murdering with cars, we will talk.
If you steal a car and kill someone with it, guess which offence carries more time?
Repeat after me
Murder requires INTENT
Murder requires INTENT
Murder requires INTENT
Murder requires INTENT
Killing someone is homicide, but it is not necessarily murder.
Repeat After Me
Bad drivers kill people with very few consequences
Bad drivers kill people with very few consequences
Bad drivers kill people with very few consequences
Bad drivers kill people with very few consequences
OK, veering off into sidetrack territory
No, you're wrong, and I really hope you're not a defense attorney. At least in Massachusetts, there are three ways you can be convicted of first-degree murder, and only one absolutely requires intent. The definition under the relevant state law is fairly short, so take a look:
OK, a careful reader will note four reasons there, but when's the last time you heard of somebody charged with petit treason?
You are probably right that somebody who kills somebody else with their car would be tried for vehicular homicide, rather than the far more serious crime of murder, because we rarely see cases in which somebody actually uses a car as a murder weapon, but if you're going to argue in absolutes, you should be absolutely sure you're right.
Personally I think it's
Personally I think it's parental neglect to leave a young child unattended in a car that is running. I do not know ANY parent who do this. Furthermore, if it was a mother, as opposed to a father, who left their young child in a running car, Uhub commenters would have her head! Such a double-standard...
Thanks for that thorough,
Thanks for that thorough, fact-based analysis of how everyone reading this site behaves exactly the same and treats mothers worse than fathers.
From one anon to another, you
From one anon to another, you're welcome!
It's illegal to idle for more
It's illegal to idle for more than 5 minutes. So that law probably wouldn't cover this situation.
I'd be fine with a shorter time limit, such as the 3 minutes in other places.
I am so happy that the child
I am so happy that the child is safe now... I can not imagine the trauma of having a stranger jump in the car and take off and then being dumped in Randolph on the side of the road at the age of five.
Thankful
Thank goodness the girl was found by kind people who were safe for her to be with and took good care of her!
bad headline by the press...
Guy allows thief to steal car by leaving it running, and his child was left unattended inside.
The real question is...
Why wasn't an amber alert issued? She was kidnapped why oh, cuz it was Dorchester.....
That's a very good question Nicole
If any reporter, police official, or anyone with any knowledge of the subject can explain why an amber alert was not issued, I would like to hear it.
I have received amber alerts from incidents in other states, but from this incident very close to my house in Fields Corner, nothing. I did however wonder about the helicopters buzzing the neighborhood.
No time
I believe she was found before they had time to send one out. It isn't an immediate process initiated by local law enforcement, and with good reason.
Here are the steps that need to be followed: https://amberalert.ojp.gov/about/guidelines-for-issuing-alerts
Oh ok
Oh ok