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SPRING HILL, FL -- Deputies were sent to a home on Lamson Avenue for a report of a child wandering around only in his diaper without adult supervision. Once on scene they arrested Melissa Crossman on charges of child neglect.
Witnesses said the boy was walking back and forth through an unsecured side gate and was playing with an electrical cord attached to the home's AC unit. The AC was running with the fan spinning that had openings large enough for a child's fingers to get inside the grate.
When deputies went inside the home, they found trash on the floor, food covered dishes and the house in a mess.
Crossman was asleep under a blanket but when she was awakened by the deputies and told about her boy she said "he got out the front door again?". Another child, a baby girl was sleeping in a crib near Crossman.
Crossman explained to deputies she had laid down with her son to take a nap. She claimed it was difficult to keep the child secure because he sleeps on a mattress on the floor instead of a bed.
A caseworker summoned from the state Department of Children and Families searched the house with a deputy and found that the girl's crib had only a mattress covered with food stains and crumbs, with no sheets; "poisonous chemicals and cleaners" were easily accessible to the children; and liquids were spilled all over the bathroom floor, among other things.
The boy's bed was a mattress on the floor, and deputies found food-caked dishes throughout the kitchen and trash on the floor. None of the smoke alarms in the house was functioning, with only exposed bare wires visible.
Asked to show the authorities how he got out of the home, the boy easily unlocked the dead bolt and opened the door. The child's grandmother, Diane Lashley, who also lives at the house, told deputies that the child-safety latches had been broken for some time.
Deputies also noted that bruises and scrapes were found on the boy's body but authorities were unable to determine whether they were a result of abuse.
Crossman was arrested on a charge of child neglect and taken to the Hernando County Jail, where she remained Friday in lieu of $1,000 bail.
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Asked to show the authorities how he got out of the home, the boy easily unlocked the dead bolt and opened the door. The child's grandmother, Diane Lashley, who also lives at the house, told deputies that the child-safety latches had been broken for some time.
Well, hmm, I wonder when it was going to occur to these dumbasses that they could either fix the locks or ya know, replace them. There should never be an "again"!
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Okay.. the other adult in the house better be charged. And in my opinion, with a baby, it sounds like that the mom might be overwhelmed and perhaps unable to afford new locks? Just a thought. There are days my dishes pile up, and there are a few things that obviously could be fixed. Just hope this isn't one of those "simple" cases where CPS will then hold up them as a statistic and say "Look what a great job we did!"
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Being poor is one thing, but damn keep your home clean enough so your children aren't living amongst filth & hazards. I hope this scares her straight and gets her shit together!
"When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always." --Mahatma Gandhi Oct. 2, 1869 ~ Jan. 30, 1948
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Lazy cow.
There's days at my house too where maybe the sink is full of dishes, but the children are always cared for. If the adults in the house knew the child could get out the door they should've done something about it. One of my kids was a "roamer" too, and could open almost anything, so we put those cheapo 'as seen on tv' alarms way up high on all the doors - worked great.
Thank goodness that child didn't get run over or abducted.
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Jeez! For the second time in a week a story of a neighbor who saw a baby unsupervised and playing with dangerous objects, like glass - as in the case of the Kalielehaaha (or whatever) Alcorn and called the cops. Good for you, neighbors. A+. Good to know you are looking after someone's child, while the mothers are, you know, sleeping.
I am wondering how old that baby in the crib was. Perhaps a late night with a fussy infant the night before and that is why she was sleeping? Just tossing out ideas as Devil's Advocate.
I am wondering how old that baby in the crib was. Perhaps a late night with a fussy infant the night before and that is why she was sleeping? Just tossing out ideas as Devil's Advocate.
Could be, but I'm sure all you parents can attest that's no excuse. And doesn't explain the filthiness/hazardous chemical level in the home either. To me, she looks very young and very stupid.
I just cannot stand people who dont put sheets on beds. Its a huge pet peeve of mine. I see it all the time, everywhere (myspace, random crime photos, photobucket). How hard and expensive are sheets these days? I think they even sell them at goodwill. And is it too much to ask to wash them at lease once a week, or change them? It feels so nice to sleep in a clean comfy bed.
I just cannot stand people who dont put sheets on beds. Its a huge pet peeve of mine. I see it all the time, everywhere (myspace, random crime photos, photobucket). How hard and expensive are sheets these days? I think they even sell them at goodwill. And is it too much to ask to wash them at lease once a week, or change them? It feels so nice to sleep in a clean comfy bed.
Ew. There are a few things you don't buy at thrift stores: sheets, panties & shoes. But you can buy sheets at Ikea for like $3
And, yeah, Tricia...I'm stealing your avatar.
__________________ "If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is ‘God is crying’. And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is ‘Probably because of something you did’." ~ Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
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Some of these things can be explained easily... (not that I agree with her excuses, if she were a REAL mommy she'd have taken the proper steps BEFORE she was caught)
Quote:
She claimed it was difficult to keep the child secure because he sleeps on a mattress on the floor instead of a bed.
My daughter does this...sheets though, and binkies. They get changed everyone other day, she's messy and likes to hide food in her bed. She is too short to reach an actual bed, and has troubles climbing up on mine on her own. I don't want her getting hurt while she's getting out in the middle of the night.
She's also really handy at unlocking everything. Including child safety locks. This is why we switch out our locks every 2 weeks, so she has time to "forget" how to open the doors (like front doors!). Where's the damn baby cages when you need, em?! "Bwahaha foiled again Kenzie!" is a common phrase is our household. She even takes off the little covers for the outlets. We had to buy completely closed outlet covers and don't plug anything into her room at all - batteries for the win! Though, I'm still considering getting a chain for the front door. Why didn't THIS mother think of a chain?
Our smoke detecters don't work either. Cheap apartment staff. They take almost 2 months to come just to fix our water when it gets full of rust. Something like a smoke detector? Yeah they don't care. Had to buy one from a store and put it near the stove just in case. Where's her cheap smoke detector? Maybe hiding in the closet amongst all the other child saftey things.
Food, dishes etc...seems pretty normal to me. My house is a mess within 2 days of a huge cleaning. Maybe they caught her on an off day?
Liquids on the ground...? WTF. Ok, no liquid on MY floors. I HATE stepping into wet spots on the carpet, let alone sliding on the bathroom floor. SAFETY LOCKS. Get them, learn to use them, love them. End of story.
However...this is NOT her first time. She should have taken the proper precautions the first time around. Like hubby and I did.
Even with a newborn here, I see zero excuses on her part. I've two kids too. It's slightly harder taking care of two at the same time, however she was warned the first time!
Fuck, if I had CPS breathing down MY neck, you bet your ass I'd be all over my house making sure it was PERFECT. Goddamn, imagine how close that little boy came to losing his fingers on that AC!
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August 18th, 2008, 07:46 PM
Melissa Crossman tells cops, "Ah, he get out the front door again?"
Report child Abuse 1-800-4-A-CHILD
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