Community Chat

[ChazzyLady]

Yet again another tragic story involving very young children being left unattended in a car.  However, in this case heat was not a factor nor did the mother forget the children. There were three children involved: a six year old, a three year old, and a 13 day old infant.  This was in Pinellas County, Florida.

On Monday, August 8 their mother, 62 year old Kathleen Marie Steele, knowingly left the three of them in a locked car for 38 minutes to go to a cell phone store.  While there, the infant began to cry and, after the six year old couldn't unlock the door, he took out his frustration on the newborn, savagely beating her.  When mom returned to the car the boy tried to tell her something was wrong but she ignored him and made another stop at a car rental company, again leaving them alone. Only after returning the second time did she notice the horrible condition of the infant. Unbelievably, she didn't call 911 but called a neighbor who was a nurse. It was she who called 911 and performed CPR on the little one.

In other accounts of this story, the police reported that she seemed aloof and was overheard saying "Well, I guess I have to plan a funeral now."  She was featured on a reality TV show called "I'm Pregnant and Fifty Five Years Old." After her husband died in 2011, she shelled out a lot of money twice for artificial insemination using her dead husband's frozen sperm, and even stated she wanted to have more children.

She is charged with the aggravated manslaughter of a child and is free on $100,000 bond.

[Imadickens]

At least she was charged! About the 6 year old...the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! I'm sure God will bless the little one who is surely in a better place now!

[JaneMarple]

When did Community Chat turn into The National Enquirer?

[tansy]

I've never seen the notation on a thread that a mod edited a post.

This was discussed the other day, OP.  I don't know if it was poofed or not.

[Kachina624]

I read she had previously been reported for neglecting her kids.  Apparently she wanted the attention she got from having babies at her ripe old age but didn't have the energy to keep up with them as toddlers.

[Teacups]

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@JaneMarple wrote:

When did Community Chat turn into The National Enquirer?

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A long time ago.

[ChazzyLady]

I too am glad she was charged @Imadickens, but that six year old scares me.  It's been reported that his school would not be accepting him back, that both he and the three year old had behavioral issues, that the six year old had even sucker punched an adult.  They are now both in what is termed "therapeutic foster care." They will surely need a lot of help.  There are many more details that anyone interested can Google.

These stories about children being left alone just seem to keep on happening sad to say.

[Lucky Charm]

I hope there will be charges against the 6 year old boy. 

[Imadickens]

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@ChazzyLady wrote:

I too am glad she was charged @Imadickens, but that six year old scares me.  It's been reported that his school would not be accepting him back, that both he and the three year old had behavioral issues, that the six year old had even sucker punched an adult.  They are now both in what is termed "therapeutic foster care." They will surely need a lot of help.  There are many more details that anyone interested can Google.

These stories about children being left alone just seem to keep on happening sad to say.

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He scares me as well! I taught at risk kids and kids on the autism spectrum ! Some of my students worried me! I definitely saw violent potential but other than documenting it in school records, nothing can be done until they break the law!

[ChazzyLady]

No @Lucky Charm there will be no charges against the six year old because of his age. There really is no precedence for actually charging someone that young with a crime.

What scares me about him are certain things he said to the police after the fact such as the baby was fussing he was trying to calm her which sounds like he was trying to cover up what he did. Of course, it didn't take long for the police to get the full story out of him. The thing is that detectives said he expressed himself as a much older child, not like an average six year old.  I hope he gets the most careful, professional psychiatric care.