Chanton Jenkins Was Careless-Kills 5 Children

[Wicked Doll]

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss306/wicked_doll777/jenkins.jpg

Police plan to charge a driver who lost control of his car after using his cell phone, sending the vehicle into a rain-swollen ditch and killing five children, a spokesman said Sunday.

Three counts of intoxication manslaughter were being prepared against Chanton Jenkins, 32, Houston police Kese Smith said.

Smith said Jenkins failed a field sobriety test after the accident Saturday, which followed torrential rain storms.

The bodies of three boys — ages 4, 7 and 11 — were found inside the vehicle. A search was planned Sunday morning for two girls ages 1 and 3, but morning fog delayed the use of a helicopter, Smith said.

The driver and another adult escaped from the vehicle, along with a 10-year-old girl.

Smith said the adult passenger told police Jenkins was the father of four of the children in the car, including the 10-year-old girl who escaped.

The current was so strong and the conditions so treacherous that it was several hours before authorities could search the sedan. Police said the vehicle was swept 100 feet from the spot where it left the road.

The passenger told police rain was falling heavily when Jenkins answered a cell phone. The passenger said Jenkins lost control when he hung up the phone and the car flew down an embankment into the ditch, Smith said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-five-dead,0,5658211.story

But the weather may not have been the only factor: Police suspect the driver, who they have identified as 32-year-old Chanton Jenkins, may have been drunk and were told he was talking on his cell phone when he lost control of the car, said HPD spokesman John Cannon.

Jenkins failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody for a blood test. Another HPD spokesman, Kese Smith, said police planned to charge Jenkins with at least three counts of intoxication manslaughter this afternoon.

“It’s just such a tragedy,” said Tywanna Harris, a relative of some of the children. “We’re just so heartbroken, and I’m at a loss for words.”

Dive team members have recovered three of the five children's bodies. They were boys ages 4, 7 and 11.

The bodies of two little girls — ages 1 and 3 — remain missing. Some of the car's windows were broken, making it possible that the bodies were swept away, officials said.

“The divers are going on feel for now because there is no visibility," Cannon said. "We won't know for 100 percent until the car is pulled out of the water."

A wrecker arrived and pulled the car out of the water around 3:45 a.m.

Officers also searched the grounds near the bayou with flashlights. Because of the size of the bodies and the amount of time that has lapsed, the bodies may be diffuclt to locate, Cannon said.

"There's really no telling where we will discover the bodies, if we even will," Cannon said.

The search will resume with an HPD helicopter later today.

Full story here:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6380742.html

[silvahalo68]

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/04/20/alg_river.jpg
Houston firefighters search the water for a vehicle driven by Chanton Jenkins that went into the bayou after heavy rains drenched the area in Houston.

We shared in part of those thunderstorms that hit us the past several days. I was hoping I wouldn't be reading something like this. I spoke briefly with a friend who is a volunteer with the Houston Firefighters. He says an all out search with a large number of volunteers have been desperately looking for the 2 young girls who died in this horrific accident. He is a father of three and has taken it hard to see such devastation from an incident that could have been avoided. I agree, using the phone, intoxicated and driving during a thunderstorm, he was asking for death to find him. Sad thing, he gets away alive but his children and another innocently parish.

When the reality of what he has done hits him, he will be living a hell he can never escape. I can't imagine the terrible grief family and friends are experiencing right now. And his remaining daughter, the 10 year old, she is forever changed. I doubt she will be able to look him in the face knowing what he did.

Rest in peace sweet children, your last moments, I just can't imagine...I just hope you didn't suffer greatly. My prayers and thoughts with you and your loved ones. Kisses little ones, I cried for you as I know people were desperate to find you.

[nurseronda]

Might he have left the girl somewhere else in his drunken stuper?.........I sure hope he did.

[Abroad]

Might he have left the girl somewhere else in his drunken stuper?.........I sure hope he did.

I suspect that is too much to hope for, Nurseronda. Much as it would please us all.





:dong:

[LDhummingbird]

If the guy had been sober, I wouldn't have faulted him at all. People get taken unawares by flash flooding all the time and it's easy to lose control of your vehicle.

That said, fuck this guy. Fuck him with his thinking he can drive around drunk. I've said similar about good friends and my own father and I'd expect you to say it to me if I thought it was a good idea.

[Special2bme]

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/Special2bme/260xStory-4.jpghttp://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo35/Special2bme/260xStory-3.jpgRescue workers are still searching for the body of a 3-year-old girl killed in a grizzly crash that claimed the lives of five children Saturday.

Four other bodies have already been recovered, including three boys whose bodies were found trapped in a submerged Lincoln sedan several hours after the car veered from into a drainage ditch filled with 9 feet of water during Saturday's storms.

The body of a 1-year-old girl was spotted by helicopter about a half mile from the accident spot earlier this afternoon.

Police expect to file at least four counts of intoxication manslaughter later today against the driver, 32-year-old Chanton Jenkins, said HPD spokesman John Cannon.

Jenkins failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody for a blood test.

“It’s just such a tragedy,” said Tywanna Harris, a relative of some of the children. “We’re just so heartbroken, and I’m at a loss for words.”

Jenkins, his brother and his 10-year-old daughter narrowly escaped the vehicle. Police were told that Jenkins was also the father of three of the children who perished in the crash.

The victims have been identified by relatives as: Carrington Jenkins, 1; Hallie Jenkins, 4; Devin Jenkins, 4; Malik Barlow, 7; and Dreton Thompson, 11.

Relatives were shocked by the accident.

According to police, Jenkins was driving eastbound on Green Roads during the storm when he answered a call on his cell phone.

Tracey Easley, the mother of Carrrington and Hallie, said she was the one who called Jenkins, who was headed to pick her up.

"It was a freak accident," she said. "We were talking on the phone and he was like 'dang,' and I assumed he dropped the phone."

She headed to his location, only to be stopped by police arriving to the crash scene.

"I just knew," she said.

Jenkins has a criminal record in Harris County dating back to 1994, when he was charged with possession of a prohibited firearm, a felony. He received deferred adjudication of guilt, but court records show his probation was revoked in 1995 after he was convicted of unauthorized absence from a community correctional facility, another felony.

In 1997, Jenkins pleaded guilty to felony possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 10 months in state jail. Five years later, he was again convicted for felony possession of a controlled substance. This time he received a yearlong jail term. Most recently, he pleaded guilty to manufacturing and/or delivering a controlled substance and was sentenced to 10 months in state jail.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6380742.html

[Parkersmom120106]

Ok..so there were 6 kids and 2 adults in a Licoln Sedan that had, 5, maybe 6 seatbelts? The 1 year old was found outside the vehicle and the 3 year old still hasn't been found. This says to me that those 2 weren't in car seats (or they'd have been found in the vehicle) and there were more passengers than seatbelts, so not all (if any) of those kids was buckled up. I can't believe that anyone is shocked that this happened. Obviously this guy doesn't give 2 shits about the safety of his children or anyone else's. What about the brother that was in the car? Shouldn't he be charged with something for allowing this to happen? If nothing else he rode around in a vehicle with 6 unrestrained children in it. I hate stupid people. I'm so glad to hear that he's being charged for this.

[LDhummingbird]

This is why law enforcement are such tightasses about car seats and such, Parkersmom.

[tricia71]

This story just makes me wanna puke.....I hate this guy for what he's done to these babies and their families.....


A 32-year-old Houston man's breath test showed he was legally intoxicated two and a half hours after he drove into a water-filled ditch in north Houston on Saturday, drowning five children who were passengers in the car, a prosecutor said today.

Chanton Jenkins was charged Sunday with four counts of intoxication manslaughter and could face 80 years in prison if convicted on all charges. Each carries a two- to 20-year sentence and a fine of up to $10,000, said Harris County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Donna Hawkins.

None of the children in the car was buckled in, according to prosecutors.

Jenkins made a brief appearance today in a probable cause courtroom adjacent to the Harris County jail. A judge determined there was reason to hold him until his next scheduled setting Tuesday in state district court.

At the hearing, a prosecutor said Jenkins' two breath tests registered blood alcohol levels of 0.079 percent and 0.082 percent. The legal limit is 0.08 percent.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6381800.html

[goddess]

this put tears to my eyes..freaking scum bag

[Wicked Doll]

Great, so he was intoxicated, yacking on his phone, AND the kids weren't restrained properly. Way to go Chanton! How anybody could not see that these actions were a potential recipe for disaster is beyond me. Douchebag.

[goddess]

cell phones and drunk driving's are the man cause's in accients...

[Special2bme]

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The search for a missing 4-year-old swept away by flood water will resume this morning. Meanwhile, her father faced a judge for the first time today.

[SIGN UP: Get headlines and breaking news sent to you]

Chanton Jenkins, 32, is in the Harris County jail. He was in court this morning, facing four counts of intoxication manslaughter.

Houston police say Jenkins was behind the wheel of a car Saturday afternoon on Greens Road when it veered off the road and into a swollen ditch the feeds into Greens Bayou. Five children in the car drowned. Jenkins, his brother and a sixth child who is 10 years old managed to escape.

Investigators say Jenkins failed field sobriety tests. Divers and Texas Equusearch spent Sunday recovering the bodies of four of the children, but a fifth child, four-year-old Hallie Jenkins, is still missing. Recovery teams will resume their search at 8am and will search deeper waters by boat today.

The waiting was very difficult for dozens of relatives at the scene.

"They were good children. They were blessed children," said Rose Johnson, an aunt of the victims. "This is very tragic for the parents, grandparents and other family members."

The bodies of three boys -- ages 4, 7 and 11 -- were found inside the vehicle. A body believed to be that of a 1-year-old girl swept away from the car was found Sunday.

Witnesses told investigators Jenkins may also have been attempting to answer a cell phone just before the accident.

Bond is set at $100,000 on each count. So far there are 4 counts of intoxication manslaughter, so bond is $400,000.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6769764&rss=rss-ktrk-article-6769764

[silvahalo68]

Tracey Easley, the mother of Carrington and Hallie, said she was the one who called Jenkins, who was headed to pick her up....It was a freak accident, she said..."
This was no "freak" accident. Though I guess this will give this grieving mother some comfort. I don't recommend living in denial but I can't imagine what she is going through right now. Still, I do think all adults involved in the safety and well being of the children should be charged. As a mother, I'd never let my children ride in a car unrestrained I don't care who is the driver. Where in the heck was the mother going to sit with 7 people already in the car? geesh, no common sense at all.
Along with Hallie Jenkins, the four other children who died in the water are Devon Jenkins, 4, Malik Barlow, 7, Dre Thomas, 11, and 18-month-old Carrington Jenkins...I'd like to know the 3 year old's name....so sad. At this point the body may never be found.
Rest in peace little ones....


Fatherchargedindeadlycrash
(http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6769764&rss=rss-ktrk-article-6769764)

[Wicked Doll]

A freak accident? Say what? Not having the children properly restrained was no accident. Drinking and getting behind the wheel was no accident. Being distracted with a cell phone call is also not an accident. The only freak part of this equation was the flash flooding.

I hope that does provide her some comfort, but it is not realistic. She should be outraged that this sperm donor was so careless with the lives of his/her children. In time, she may be. I'm sure she is still in a tremendous amount of shock and still trying to process what happened.

[Kalehue]

http://www.chron.com/photos/2009/04/19/16279624/260xStory.jpg
Hallie Jenkins

At the hearing, a prosecutor said Jenkins' two breath tests registered blood alcohol levels of 0.079 percent and 0.082 percent. The legal limit is 0.08 percent.

The prosecutor also said an officer at the scene suspected Jenkins might have been under the influence of a drug. A blood test is pending.

The only reply Jenkins gave in court was when he was asked about an attorney. He said he would hire one.

The bodies of four of the five children have been recovered. Authorities on Monday resumed searching the banks of Greens Bayou for the body of the fifth victim, 4-year-old Hallie Jenkins. The search ended for the day at about 7 p.m.

"We're still searching but it's over for today,"' said Frank Black with Texas EquuSearch.

Child Protective Services caseworkers will investigate the deaths of all five children, as well as the home life of a child who survived.

CPS caseworkers also will investigate if there are any other children living in any of the victims’ homes to make sure the surviving young ones are safe and being raised in an appropriate environment, said CPS spokeswoman Estella Olguin. Caseworkers want to know if the parents of any of the children knew Jenkins was drinking and driving Saturday or if they are aware of him driving intoxicated with the children on any previous occasions, Olguin said. I'm just guessing that their answer will probably be no.

CPS also will provide any resources necessary to the families to help them cope with the deaths of their children.

"They’ve suffered a great loss, and we want to be able to help the families," Olguin said. "Because if they’re still parents to other children and they’ve lost these children, they’re going to need help."

Jenkins, the father of at least three of the deceased children, has a criminal record in Harris County dating back to 1994. Most recently he was sentenced to 10 months in jail on drug-related charges.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6381800.html

[silvahalo68]

Thanks Kalhue for the picture, I'm just missing Devin's...can't seem to find a picture anywhere.

http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/Fallen%20angels/600xPopupGallery-1.jpghttp://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/other/cross-2-2.jpg
http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/Fallen%20angels/600xPopupGallery.jpghttp://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/Fallen%20angels/260xStory.jpg

[Kalehue]

Thanks Kalhue for the picture, I'm just missing Devin's...can't seem to find a picture anywhere.

http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/Fallen%20angels/600xPopupGallery-1.jpghttp://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/other/cross-2-2.jpg?t=1240282594
http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/Fallen%20angels/600xPopupGallery.jpghttp://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/Fallen%20angels/260xStory.jpg

What beautiful children. Seeing the pictures always makes the story so much more real to me.

Heartbreaking.

[Redshoes]

I just read about this story... how heartbreaking. But being drunk, f-ing around with your cell phone, while it is pouring and flooding? With way too many people in the car? I would have been more surprised if nothing bad happened.

I can't believe so many little kids had to die because of what he did. How the hell do you think it's okay to risk the lives of children by driving intoxicated? So sad. And of course he didn't die. Good forbid the world makes sense.

How the hell do you escape the vehicle without trying to save all of the children? If I had kids, I would have rather drowned trying to get them out than worried about saving myself.

[Kalehue]

Searchers early this afternoon found what appears to be the body of Hallie Jenkins, the 4-year-old girl who has been missing since her father's car plunged into a north Houston drainage ditch on Saturday, killing her and four other children, Houston police said.

The discovery was reported around 1:30 p.m. today along Greens Bayou near Beltway 8. There was no immediate confirmation of the body's identity, but police said it appeared to be Hallie. The other children's bodies already have been recovered.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6383423.html

[Abroad]

Poor Hallie. You just know from the way they describe the find that they'll need dentist's records or DNA to identify her. But at least they found her.

Such a pointless crime. I cannot call it an accident when so many laws were flaunted leading up to it.

[Inkdmomma78]

Another Assclown driving under the influence!? How the hell drunk WAS he? Maybe if he had some sense he would have tried to the death to save his kids, no matter how drunk he was. It's funny how these poor innocent children had to die but his drunk piece of shit ass survives??!! Not fair...just wait til that good ol Karma bus hits you in prison.

[ohmarvellousme!]

How the hell do you escape the vehicle without trying to save all of the children? If I had kids, I would have rather drowned trying to get them out than worried about saving myself.

My sentiments exactly. Its like people who get out of a burning house and save their own hides while leaving their kids to burn. No way would I leave without my kids. If that meant dying with them, then so be it. At least they wouldnt die alone.

This guy is a real class act. Drunk driving, overloaded car, unrestrained kids, using his cell phone, possibly under the influence of drugs too, and all this during lousy weather. God damn him to hell for all eternity. Bastard.

RIP Karrington, Hallie, Devin, Malik and Dreyton. Such a senseless and avoidable waste of young lives. xxxxx

[Harley_Tech]

Searchers find missing girl's body

YouTube - 5 Bodies Found After 2 Days

Vigil held for missing/killed children, also video form court proceedings.

YouTube - Vigil For 5 Kids Lost

R

[Kalehue]

Hallie’s father, who is locked up on four charges of intoxication manslaughter, broke down crying as he expressed remorse for the children’s deaths during a brief interview at the Harris County Jail Tuesday night.

“I’m hurting, you know what I’m saying?” said Chanton B. Jenkins, 32, who buried his face in his shirt sleeve as his eyes filled with tears. “I want to let the families know I’m truly sorry — the families of the other two kids. And I’m hurting for my kids. I’m truly sorry.”

Hallie’s body was found by a 69-year-old volunteer who had combed the canal’s banks for two days.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6385186.html

[Kalehue]

Harris County Sheriff's officials said that the man accused of intoxication manslaughter in the deaths of five children last week has been placed in a separate cell away from other inmates at the county jail.

Chanton Jenkins, 32, is charged with five cases of intoxication manslaughter in connection with a wreck Saturday. Three of the youngster killed were Jenkins' children.

He had been jailed with other inmates in the general population since his arrest Saturday, but late Wednesday afternoon he was moved into administrative segregation for his own protection, said Sheriff's Deputy Thomas Gilliland, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office.

"He was in general population and said he was O.K.," Gilliland said. "They moved him for his own safety."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6388345.html

[Wicked Doll]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6388345.html

Awww, come on! Let the other inmates have at him. Save the tax payers a few bucks. I bet he is not popular in GP. The kid killers never are.

[Kalehue]

Blood tests have revealed a Houston father had PCP, marijuana and alcohol in his system when he crashed a car into a flooded bayou earlier this month, killing five children, said a source close to the investigation.

The Houston Police Department and Harris County District Attorney’s Office would not comment on the test results Wednesday because of the pending case against Chanton Jenkins. He is jailed on five charges of intoxication manslaughter.

PCP, known formally as phencyclidine, is sometimes referred to as angel dust. It can cause hallucinations, disorientation, lack of sensation and bursts of superhuman strength. Users may be impaired by the drug for up to 24 hours.

Jenkins was convicted in 2002 of possessing less than 1 gram of PCP, court records show. He has also been convicted of delivering cocaine and possessing cocaine.

During a jailhouse interview late Friday, Jenkins, an unemployed father of seven, denied drinking or taking drugs on the day of the crash. He admitted, however, to drinking the night before and said he did not remember doing any drugs at that time.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/6400245.html

[silvahalo68]

I'm outta thinks Kalhue, so thank you for that update.

And the mother let him care for kids and drive them about. Seriously, wtf did was she thinking? it was only a matter of time that something horrific would happen.

I saw in the video how she said, it was just such a terrible accident, that's all....denial, denial, denial.

[Abroad]

Terrible? Yes! Accident? No!!!!