Elizabeth Lancaster didn't take her baby on shoplifting trip; Left him in the car

[Dakota Valkyrie]

http://i31.tinypic.com/2nbgar5.jpg
A Weirton woman is behind bars after police say she left her 9 month old son inside her parked car at the Weirton Walmart on Saturday. Police say they received a call that the child was left alone in the car and when officers arrived they spotted the child alone, sweating and crying inside the car.

Even more disturbing to officers was the fact the keys were even left in the ignition of the car. Police waited 15 minutes before they spotted Elizabeth Lancaster walking out of Walmart with two shopping bags and a store clerk following her. The clerk told officers that the items in the bag were stolen.

Lancaster was taken into custody and charged with a second offense shoplifting charge as well as child neglect with a risk of serious injury. Lancaster claimed she was in the store for seconds, but officers say Walmart security video will show she was in there at least 15 minutes.

The child has been placed with relatives and Lancaster remains behind bars in the Northern Regional Jail.http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=64824

Police say they found the baby in the parking lot of a local Wal-Mart over the weekend. The car was running and the windows were down, but it was an 85-degree day.http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/200908170438

Her MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/lanctank04
Just part of her all-over-the-place MySpace:
...So ladies, please do self breast exams...early detection is the best protection! I love shopping, writing in my journal, hangin with the fam, and going out occasionally...

[Silvahalo]

This is baby Drake.
http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s341/silvahalo68/Fallen%20angels/AbusedSurvivors/l_6a424dd2cf0e4d0c8bf0edb0993e554a.jpg


So sorry sweet one. Glad you made it out alive.

[ImmortalOne]

I think that the young woman was just naive and uneducated. While its hard to understand how that is possible in this day and age of TV and Radio etc. I know that with my first daughter I wasn't ever told about leaving her in the car alone and I did it while running into K-Mart when she was about 6 months old only to come out to an angry crowd threatening to call the cops... I was 17.

As far as stolen goods... it is hard to get in and out with a baby in tow if you are stealing stuff. And I believe that Walmart employees are taught to not handle the situation. Though I am curious as to what she stole... was it food? Was it some kind of important thing to take care of the child? Again in this day and age (and I know not everyone will agree - if anyone) we are going to see this more and more and I have a gray area on the right and wrong depending on what is stolen and for what reason...

[Just my luck sucks]

Elizabeth Lancaster didn't take her baby on shoplifting trip; Left him in the car

She was just being a good mommy. Left him behind so he wouldn't see her setting a bad example. Another child raised with "do as I say, not as I do."

[absinthe]

I think that the young woman was just naive and uneducated. While its hard to understand how that is possible in this day and age of TV and Radio etc. I know that with my first daughter I wasn't ever told about leaving her in the car alone and I did it while running into K-Mart when she was about 6 months old only to come out to an angry crowd threatening to call the cops... I was 17.

As far as stolen goods... it is hard to get in and out with a baby in tow if you are stealing stuff. And I believe that Walmart employees are taught to not handle the situation. Though I am curious as to what she stole... was it food? Was it some kind of important thing to take care of the child? Again in this day and age (and I know not everyone will agree - if anyone) we are going to see this more and more and I have a gray area on the right and wrong depending on what is stolen and for what reason...

so, because you once did it, it's ok?

[thebooblady]

I don't understand why anyone would need to be told. I think everyone knows cars get HOT with no A/C and COLD with no heat. I think everyone should be able to surmise that someone could steal the car or the baby. And aside form all that, I think a parent should know the child would get scared being left alone.

[thequeenofsorrow]

I mean if it's too much trouble to unbuckle the child from the car seat, strap them in the cart, and push them around and then unstrap and rebuckle the child when you are finished and back to your car, then why the fuck bothering going to the store??

from her myspace:

"my mother, Suzanne Bruno, also, but sadly she died from breast cancer July 15th,2000. She was 29 yrs old" wow so her mom was like 14 or 15 when she had her since she's 23. Some small generations. Nothing wrong with that of course.

"In the past month have you Stolen Anything: no " wow when did she take this survey??

"Major: Political Science/Pre Law
Minor: Criminal Justice" why do all the criminals pick this as their major??



what a cute baby, though. he's a month younger than my youngest. good luck to them both in the future

[Silvahalo]

She's not teen either, 23. She knew better just didn't care. She was stealing so it was all about getting a way with something for nothing. She is lucky this didn't turn out to be a dead baby charge. Then she'd have a lot of time to think about what she wasn't think of at the time.....right.

[ImmortalOne]

so, because you once did it, it's ok?

Did my post say it was okay Asinthe? It said that it was possible she was naive and uneducated, just like I was at 17. And no, as Silva pointed out, she isn't a teenager and is much older but still a first time mom. Of course what she did was wrong, but a lot of young first time inexperienced (and stupid - yes I was stupid at 17) people don't realize its wrong till they learn.

[absinthe]

Did my post say it was okay Asinthe? It said that it was possible she was naive and uneducated, just like I was at 17. And no, as Silva pointed out, she isn't a teenager and is much older but still a first time mom. Of course what she did was wrong, but a lot of young first time inexperienced (and stupid - yes I was stupid at 17) people don't realize its wrong till they learn.

i'm really not trying to be more bitchy than usual. i just don't understand why someone would NEED to be TOLD not to leave their baby in a car. even a first-time mom. if you want to explain further, i would be interested to read.

[ImmortalOne]

i'm really not trying to be more bitchy than usual. i just don't understand why someone would NEED to be TOLD not to leave their baby in a car. even a first-time mom. if you want to explain further, i would be interested to read.

Absinthe, you aren't being more bitchy than usual. However you and the others on this board have been blessed with wisdom, intelligence, experience, and knowledge. Not everyone has these resources, and some people are just down right stupid. *shrug* I was, especially at 17. Hell I ran in to return something (literally less than 10 minutes) and my daughter was asleep in the car.

I had never heard about children dying in cars, I never paid attention to the TV stories or the newspapers. I had seen people leaving their babies in the cars when they ran into stores to get cigarettes and to pay for gasoline, etc. I thought it was "Okay". That was 16 yrs ago and I was a "know-it-all" naive teenager. It was a quick education that I know personally I needed and have been grateful for ever since.

It never happened again (though now sometimes I want to drop her off different places for her being that same "know-it-all" teenager), and when my toddler was born I educated my husband (and first time dad) on it thoroughly to make sure nothing ever happened.

No, I didn't lose my daughter. No she wasn't harmed. Simply said, I did not know I shouldn't do it. It was that simple, especially back then. Judge as you may over what I did 16 years ago - that's your right.

[absinthe]

Absinthe, you aren't being more bitchy than usual. However you and the others on this board have been blessed with wisdom, intelligence, experience, and knowledge. Not everyone has these resources, and some people are just down right stupid. *shrug* I was, especially at 17. Hell I ran in to return something (literally less than 10 minutes) and my daughter was asleep in the car.

I had never heard about children dying in cars, I never paid attention to the TV stories or the newspapers. I had seen people leaving their babies in the cars when they ran into stores to get cigarettes and to pay for gasoline, etc. I thought it was "Okay". That was 16 yrs ago and I was a "know-it-all" naive teenager. It was a quick education that I know personally I needed and have been grateful for ever since.

It never happened again (though now sometimes I want to drop her off different places for her being that same "know-it-all" teenager), and when my toddler was born I educated my husband (and first time dad) on it thoroughly to make sure nothing ever happened.

No, I didn't lose my daughter. No she wasn't harmed. Simply said, I did not know I shouldn't do it. It was that simple, especially back then. Judge as you may over what I did 16 years ago - that's your right.


thanks for taking my request seriously and providing more explanation. i do understand a bit better now.

[ImmortalOne]

The one thing I can say, is that 16 yrs later out of my horrible memory that day is one that stands out in my mind still. I still remember WHY I returned something (it was a pair of shoes I bought for me the week before and it came down to returning those for a pack of diapers instead)... I still remember the woman who was at the car clearly, and what she looked like. I still remember the other people and how I felt. I even remember what car I was driving...

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Not only did she leave the kid in the car but the windows were down and it was running with the keys in the ignition.

She didn't even care if someone stole the baby or the car.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

http://i28.tinypic.com/2v30sw5.jpg
A local mother accused of leaving her infant alone in a hot car while she shoplifted said she made a "huge mistake and I'll never forget it."

Elizabeth Marie Lancaster is accused of leaving her 9-month-old son in a car parked at the Weirton Wal-Mart in August.

Lancaster, 23, of New Cumberland appeared for a preliminary hearing in Brooke County on Wednesday and told NEWS9 there's a reason for her actions and she's learned a tough lesson.

"I was absolutely mortified, embarrassed for my family, my son, myself. I was not raised that way and I'll take whatever punishment is necessary," she said.
[...]

"I'm not sure what made me want to steal," she said. "I've been on anti-anxiety meds for five years and I've had a problem with it."

Lancaster said she is getting help and what happened to her son won't happen again.

"I didn't have a conscience. That's the only way I can describe what happened."

Lancaster said she was willing to talk to NEWS9, hoping her interview sends an important message to other mothers.

"Be very careful what meds you take. If you do have a problem -- I know a lot of people in the area have prescription problems -- get the help you need," she said.

Lancaster said her son, Drake, just turned 10 months old and he's doing fine. She remains on house arrest and her preliminary hearing was continued until Sept. 23.http://www.wtov9.com/news/20817500/detail.html

[Awhell]

Lovely little excuse she has there.

I've had bad medication interactions. Bad ones, like suicidal bad. However, I have never had the "leave the baby in the car and go rip off WallyWorld" reaction.
One of the first times I have heard the "the drugs made me do it" defense for the utter stupidity of leaving a child in the car. At least she didn't just say that she forgot.