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Clifton, NJ - Toddler Found Unconscious In Hot Car |
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Mrs. Lebovitz Car
Police say the incident happened in parking lot of the Home Depot on Bloomfield Avenue in Clifton, New Jersey.
The toddler was reportedly taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson in stable condition.
Authorities say a group of moms in Passaic County takes turns babysitting and carpooling each other's children.
The driver, identified as 33-year-old M.. L... reportedly had six children in her car and was driving them to day care. The 2-year-old apparently fell asleep in the back of the van.
"She forgot to take the child out of vehicle when she got to the day care center," Clifton police Sergeant Robert Bracken said. "So at that point, she drove to her house thinking all the children were at the day care center."
Police say Lebovitz returned home and then, three hours later, left to return some items to the Home Depot. When she opened the back to retrieve the items, she found the unconscious child.
"She ran with the child into the entrance of the Home Depot, screamed for help," Bracken said. "Some civilians were there and started CPR on the child."
The boy was rushed to the hospital, where he is listed in stable condition. He reportedly suffered dehydration due to the estimated 100-plus degree temperatures inside the van.
Police say Lebovitz was distraught during questioning.
"She's getting a little bit better now that she found out the child is doing OK," Bracken said.
Lebovitz is charged with abandonment. She will face a judge Wednesday morning.
The boy's parents are reportedly returning from a Vermont vacation to be by his side.
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Read Comments (46) — Post Yours »
1
Jul 15, 2008 at 07:54 PM anonymous Says:
Thank G-D the child is doing ok. Can she get jail time for this ?
2
Jul 15, 2008 at 08:12 PM Mordechai Says:
The boy's name is Akivah Yehudah ben Eidel Freida, please daven for him
3
Jul 15, 2008 at 08:18 PM Anonymous Says:
how unfortunate...
4
Jul 15, 2008 at 08:28 PM Anonymous Says:
this time, seems like the woman is innocent, but..................
5
Jul 15, 2008 at 08:31 PM Steve Says:
This could happen to anyone. I am glad that the baby is ok. B"H
6
Jul 15, 2008 at 08:33 PM Anonymous Says:
Nebach
7
Jul 15, 2008 at 08:38 PM anonymous Says:
some people are just plain careless and stupid.
how could you not make sure that every child that went in your car also got out???
8
Jul 15, 2008 at 08:40 PM Anonymous Says:
sounds like a horrible accident, hope the boy is ok!
9
Jul 15, 2008 at 09:11 PM Anonymous Says:
anon 8:38, it happened because Hashem wanted it to happen. We all do stupid things then wonder later what in the world we were thinking. Accidents happen, get over it. Say B"H the kid is okay instead of judging others.
10
Jul 15, 2008 at 09:17 PM anonymous Says:
Anon 8.38 It could happen to you as well.
11
Jul 15, 2008 at 09:20 PM chabadnik Says:
We got to learn from this always look in your car befor u park in takes 2 seconds I always check hey u never know and my 4 year old was in the back seat "wanted to come with daddy" true story last summe in the catskills
12
Jul 15, 2008 at 09:55 PM chaim Says:
b'h child is ok and released
13
Jul 15, 2008 at 09:59 PM Dovid Rosenberg Says:
This is a very unfortunate event. We must thank Hashem that the child is recovering. I think that we should feel bad for is the woman who left this child in the car. She will not be able to sleep for a while, possibly her entire life, because of this incident so give her a break. All we should be doing is davening for this child.
14
Jul 15, 2008 at 10:06 PM Miri Kal Says:
>> some people are just plain careless and stupid.
No, they are human.
Pilots fly planes into mountains.
Doctors give too much medicine...
thousands of examples.
routines are routines and we are all human.
Daven for everyone!
15
Jul 15, 2008 at 10:15 PM Reba Says:
when my daughter was 4, she sneaked into the car to come with me, curled up in the back and fell asleep. Because I forgot my purse B"H, I discovered her.
16
Jul 15, 2008 at 10:50 PM Anonymous Says:
10:44 p.m. that's a horrible remark to make. It was a unfortunate accident. You think by taking her children away from her will help the situation than think again before you shoot your mouth off. don't judge other people so quickly.
17
Jul 15, 2008 at 10:50 PM Anonymous Says:
by the way it was close to 5 hrs. not 3.
18
Jul 15, 2008 at 10:50 PM shmiel glassman Says:
this has nothing to do with being careless this can happen to any responsible person with some adult ADD
19
Jul 15, 2008 at 11:27 PM Anonymous Says:
She is an amazing person who does So much chesed!
Please daven that the baby will be ok.
Remember there is someone who runs the world NOT us!
20
Jul 15, 2008 at 11:50 PM Anonymous Says:
miri kal, would you be so generous if you left your own child with a friend for a day who made such a careless mistake?
21
Jul 16, 2008 at 12:17 AM anonymous Says:
To 11:50 miri kal is 100% correct.Did you ever hear of "Ain adom roeh es nigai asmoi" A person dosen't see his own faults. If G-D forbid something bad happens to someone he'll find whom to blame and it won't usually be himself.
22
Jul 16, 2008 at 12:27 AM Anonymous Says:
To 11:50 Miri kal is 100% correct. A person will never see hs own faults. If something G-D forbid happens to someone, He'll find someone to blame and it won't usually be himself. This was a tragic accident, but I hope the parents will be able to say this was G-Ds will. Gam zu litova.
By the way the first Al chait we say on Yom Kipper is that Hashem should forgive on an avaira we did by accident. Sforim say if you were deserving Hashem wouldn't have let this "accident" happen through you.
23
Jul 16, 2008 at 12:42 AM anon Says:
12:17, if only everyone here applied that to every story about every jew who makes a mistake....puh leeze dont make me puke
24
Jul 16, 2008 at 01:04 AM anonymous Says:
While truly an accident you still can't deny the fact that there is nothing but utter carelessness that could lead to a caregiver of children to leave a child in a car for over 5 hours. Yet, she remembered that there were items she needed to return to Home Depot. Mistakes happen because we're human and no one is perfect and at the same time mistakes happen because we weren't careful. And, if we weren't careful then we were careless. There is no middle gray area.
25
Jul 16, 2008 at 02:53 AM Anonymous Says:
Yes, there was certainly a level of carelessness in this matter. However where one lived makes a difference. In the South, like in Florida, where a child can literally BAKE in a short time if left in a car, there is so much publicity about this matter, with constant reminders, that any driver who has kids in the car is in the habit of double and triple checking all the time.
But, up north, where the danger is not usually as awful, and there is less publicity about this, there is not the same intensity of focus on this.
Also, since this woman had children other than her own, it is also a bit easier to loose track and not notice a sleeping child.
I am sure she never intended and harm, and will triple check her car every day for the rest of her life.
Was it careless and wrong? Sure.
But, we CAN find room to understand that we are all imperfect.
Burich Hashem the child appears to be recovering.
Let's all daven for the child, as well as for the lady who made this mistake. For, years after the child will forget this ever happened, this lady will have the memory in her.
And, yes, some do go to jail for this. Here in Florida, if you leave a child for a minute alone in a car, you can be charged with reckless endangerment. Let's hope she does not have to endure that kind of punishment. The horrible memories will be enough.
26
Jul 16, 2008 at 08:54 AM GOLEM Says:
THANK GOD THE CHILD IS ALIVE. ACCIDENTS DO HAPPEN, THE SAME STORY JUST HAPPENED WITH AN OLDER COUPLE LEFT IN THEIR SONS CAR ASLEEP AND DEID. THE TZAAR FROM THIS IS UNBEARABLE. I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE IT A HABIT TO ALWAYS CHECK IN YOUR CAR BEFORE LEAVING IT TO MAKE SURE WE GOT EVERYTHING OUT SUCH AS GARBAGE, GROCEREIS, ETC. AND BY THAT TO PREVENT A TRAGEDY. BASHEFER HALT DEIN RECTHER HAND OIF INZ.
YOURS: THE GOLEM
27
Jul 16, 2008 at 08:57 AM LONG LIVE ZIONISOM Says:
did no one notice he was gone CARELESS
28
Jul 16, 2008 at 09:06 AM Miri Kal Says:
>>>>miri kal, would you be so generous if you left your own child with a friend for a day who made such a careless mistake?
No I would not. but then againm, the mother's of first-degree murderes comes to court to plead for them. I could not be objective if it was my baby, but that is human.
It is also human to make errors.
the people posting here are often way too self righteous. People make mistakes. that is the problem with routines. we do it thousands of times, but that one time, pow!
Bottom line - this could have happened to any of us.
29
Jul 16, 2008 at 09:25 AM Anonymous Says:
It says that the parents returned from their Vermont vacation
to be with this child. So, who was parenting in the days leading up to this unfortunate incident ?
30
Jul 16, 2008 at 09:36 AM Anonymous Says:
how can it happen to any one of us?
its not an accident of any sort - it is a something that doesnt happen if you are paying attention to what you are doing especially if the life of someone else's child is being placedi n your hands, r'l.
this is not self righteousness its basic common sense! what if she was not frum would you all be giving her the benefit of the doubt?
31
Jul 16, 2008 at 10:03 AM Zach Kessin Says:
Mistakes and errors happen, we are all human, sometimes they can be fatal, this time Thank G-d it was not.
All I can say is be careful. If say an airline pilot makes a mistake or forgets something it could cause a lot of damage so they use a written checklist and read everything out loud. Obviously sometimes mistakes still get made but it really does work.
So use this as a time to look at our own lives and see if there is a way to be a little more careful. And if making and reading a checklist does it for you then go with it.
32
Jul 16, 2008 at 10:42 AM Anonymous Says:
It's unfair and wrong to assume that this person has ADD (ADHD) but it should give us enough pause to learn to take all the harsh lessons of carelessness for ourselves but NEVER to judge others.
In the best-selling "Delivered from Distraction" Dr Ed Hallowell describes an incident with a patient who was a world class poet with Adult ADD.
To earn a living he drove a schoolbus. Well one day he had a poem start to form in his head and he drove the entire route thinking of the poem. When he returned to the depot and got ready to leave the bus he saw that all the kids were still on board. He had forgotten to drop them off at the school!!!
The kids had said nothing because they were very young and assumed they were on some sort of school trip. The guy was so popular with both kids and parents that he didn't get fired but in the end Dr. Hallowell persuaded him that it was not a good idea to carry the responsibility of schoolkids and he found a different job.
33
Jul 16, 2008 at 10:44 AM Anonymous Says:
hashem yishmor
34
Jul 16, 2008 at 11:51 AM Mr Hatzalah Says:
In addition to the obvious lesson here, it is also worth pointing out the importance of keeping cars LOCKED during the summer, especially in camps and bungalow colonies. There have been instances where youngsters managed to get into a vehicle and close the door and where then unable to open it.
Treat known hazards as you would a loaded gun (lack of seatbelts/car seats, pools/tubs, plastic bags, window shade cords, hot liquids, etc. etc.)
With vigilance and Help from the Ribono Shel Olem may all of Klal Yisroel be zocheh to a healthy and safe summer and to the Geulah BB”O.
35
Jul 16, 2008 at 02:41 PM Anonymous Says:
im not sure whats worse - the stupidity of this woman or that of the people here defending her
36
Jul 16, 2008 at 05:24 PM Anonymous Says:
gevalt.
the news articles say she went home first and then went to home depo. it was several hours. how do you foret something like that? sheesh.
37
Jul 16, 2008 at 09:40 PM anonymous Says:
To all those condemning this woman, it would do us all well to be dan l'kaf zchus. My child was left in the car last summer. His carpool thought she had dropped him off. After 1/2 hour later than he usually comes home, I called her. sure enough, he was in the car, and B"H okay, but traumatized. We are still friends. Yesterday's event was unfortunate and to those of you who know the woman, she is extremely responsible and does a lot of Chessed. She is always on top of things. It was just a mistake, and I believe legally she will be okay. Another suggestion to all, is count the kids getting out of the car, and DO NOT talk on your cell phone during carpool. This can be very distracting.
38
Jul 16, 2008 at 09:55 PM Anonymous Says:
It;s no ones place to judge! But B"H the baby is doing better. There was a local tehillim get together this morning at 10:00 A.M. But please keep davening for the frumA lady as well!
39
Jul 16, 2008 at 10:41 PM passaic res. Says:
Anonymous Says:
She is an amazing person who does So much chesed!
Please daven that the baby will be ok.
Remember there is someone who runs the world NOT us!
07-15-2008 - 11:27 PM
===============================================
Can you please tell us what in the world her doing or not doing ~chesed ~ has anything to do with her stupidity?
40
Jul 17, 2008 at 02:00 AM Anonymous Says:
passaic res. she is trying to say how she is a GOOD person who is out to help others, and NOT an irresponsbile person like most people here try to portray her.
What happened could have happened to any of us - unless you are an absolute saint! I think NOT!
This was an unfortunate incident that indeed could have been tragic but B"H it was not and I am sure she the woman is traumatized enough without everyone else digging in to her.
41
Jul 17, 2008 at 08:01 AM Anonymous Says:
How do you not notice a sleeping child in the back of your car? What was she driving, a plane? I have to tell you, everytime I read these stories, (and there is at least one a summer), my heart drops. Which leads me to my next pet peeve, parents who conciously leave their kids in the car while the "run into to the store for a minute". Often times you see a 5 year old supervising a 2 year old and a baby in the car! I can assure that these people would never leave their wallets in the car, but their kids? No problem! Disgraceful!
42
Jul 17, 2008 at 08:44 AM onemanband613 Says:
Can someone tell me why, R"L, these stories are becoming more common than they were so many years ago?
43
Jul 17, 2008 at 12:45 PM Anonymous Says:
would you all be so generous to her "mistake" and "accident" if chas vshalom the outcome was different?
44
Jul 17, 2008 at 08:06 PM Anonymous Says:
She's being araigned Friday morning - don't know if it'll be 2nd or 3rd degree child endangerment.
45
Jul 17, 2008 at 09:35 PM Chedva from Spring Valley Says:
>>> How do you not notice a sleeping child in the back of your car? What was she driving, a plane?
SUV's are big.
As to the plane, pilots make mistakes that kill people. Everyone is human.
46
Jul 20, 2008 at 08:15 PM Anonymous Says:
When taking responsibility for other people children the driver has to be more alert and do a head count or something.
Very dangerous in the high heat.. THe person was lucky the boy is alive.
Many kids dont survive