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Jun. 10, 2008
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

FAMILY TRAGEDY: Boy left in vehicle dies

LV police say parents forgot 4-year-old after family outing on Sunday

By BRIAN HAYNES
REVIEW-JOURNAL
SAFETY TIPS

NEVER LEAVE A CHILD UNATTENDED IN A VEHICLE. NOT EVEN FOR A MINUTE.

Be sure all occupants leave the vehicle when unloading. Do not overlook sleeping babies.

Always lock your car and ensure children do not have access to keys or remote-entry devices. If a child is missing, check the car first, including the trunk. Teach your children that vehicles are never to be used as a play area.

Keep a stuffed animal in the car seat, and when the child is put in the seat, place the animal in the front with the driver. Placing a purse or briefcase in the back seat is also a good reminder you have your child in the car.

Make "look before you leave" a routine whenever you get out of the car.

Have a plan that your child-care provider will call you if your child does not show up for school.

Source: San Francisco State University

REVIEW-JOURNAL


A Las Vegas police officer removes crime scene tape Monday outside a home where a 4-year-old boy was left in a family vehicle and died. The child was discovered Monday morning in the sport-utility vehicle outside the house, near Sahara Avenue and Nellis Boulevard.
Photo by Jessica Ebelhar/Review-Journal

A 4-year-old boy was found dead outside his family's home Monday morning after being left in a vehicle for 17 hours, Las Vegas police said.

The boy was pronounced dead about 8:30 a.m. after one of his siblings found him in the family's sport-utility vehicle outside the house at 4935 E. Cleveland Ave., near Sahara Avenue and Nellis Boulevard, police said.

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    • Investigators determined the child's parents had forgotten the boy in their sport-utility vehicle after returning home from a family outing Sunday afternoon, said Lt. Ray Steiber, who oversees the Abuse and Neglect Detail.

    Sunday's temperature peaked at 90 degrees about 6 p.m. at McCarran International Airport. At that heat, temperatures inside a vehicle can top 130 degrees within an hour, according to a San Francisco State University study.

    Investigators think heat was a factor in the child's death but were waiting for more information from the coroner's office before determining whether it killed the boy, Steiber said. The death was the first in Las Vegas this year involving a child in a car, he said.

    The boy was not strapped in a car seat, he said.

    The two-story, 3,412-square-foot home is owned by Stan and Colleen Rimer, who bought it in 1991.

    A man at the scene who identified himself as a member of the Rimers' Mormon church said they had seven children, all boys, six of whom lived in the house. The oldest was serving a Mormon mission in Canada, the man said.

    The 4-year-old boy was mentally disabled, he said.

    Clark County's Department of Family Services removed all minor children from the home and placed them in the Child Haven shelter, spokeswoman Christine Skorupski said.

    Child Protective Services workers had received previous reports about the family, but Skorupski said she could not release details.

    The church member said four children were taken to Child Haven in part because of the home's uncleanliness and a group of church members planned to clean the house once police left the scene.

    Steiber said the children were removed because of concerns about their environment.

    The remaining son who lived in the house was an adult and allowed to return to the home, the church member said.

    "It's not a family you could see this happen to," the man said. "They're always together."

    Police will await information from the coroner's office before completing their investigation and consulting prosecutors on potential charges, Steiber said.

    In previous cases in which children died in hot cars, Clark County prosecutors have not pressed charges when caregivers did not intentionally leave their children in the vehicle.

    According to the San Francisco State University study, 51 percent of child deaths in hot cars between 1998 and 2007 occurred after a caregiver forgot the child.

    Nevada had nine such fatalities during the study period, which gave it the highest per-capita rate in the nation.

    "It's never OK to leave your child unattended ... especially in a vehicle," Steiber said.

    Five children have died in the United States from heat in cars this year, not including Monday's death. Last year 35 U.S. children died under the same circumstances, according to the study.

    Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0281.



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    Joann wrote on June 27, 2008 03:58 PM: Glenn:

    I feel the same way. My son is 2 yrs old next month and I am completely discusted with visualizing what that baby went thorugh all alone. I am so angry over this and I cannot understand the parents for forgetting him. Baby Jason had the mentality of a 2 year and how could you miss him, over-look him forget him. I cannot understand that! They murdered him and it was brutal! Poor Baby! I will never forgot Baby Jason!!!!!


    Joann wrote on June 27, 2008 03:42 PM: When Collen Rimer said she woke up at 1:00 am in the morning because she didn't have a right feeling, that is called "Guilt".......Murderer


    Joann wrote on June 27, 2008 03:41 PM: I am so sick of worthless, irresponsible, negligent, careless, messed up abusive parents hurting and killing their children.

    I do not know this baby boy but I feel so much pain for what he went through before he died. This is truly heartaching! Poor Baby Jason! 17 hours! The parents made sure he wasn't going to make it through this mistake, how many has there been?

    What I cannot get over is that she did not call the police or fire dept. after she breifly searched for her baby and could not find him. It is horribile but I can conclude to is that she didn't want him found. She wanted him to die in that vehicle and that is why she chose to order her disabled child to get the baby out of the SUV and took another vehicle to pick up the oldest son. She intentionally, both parents, intentionally wanted Baby Jason dead. That is a fact because she did not call the police after he was missing. She wanted him to suffer and die in that vehicle so she wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. I know this sounds horrible but I do not see it any other way.

    And to add to how they are being so calm and justified over their actions the day that poor baby died. He boiled in 130 degree heat and the mother, the mother, the over-all protector of her children, did not call the police to help find her baby and did not give a crap because she took a nap and ate dinner while he was left to die!

    I have no sympathy for the parents and I hope they get a harsher punishment so murdering parents will not follow their steps when parenting gets to hard to handle.


    KK wrote on June 14, 2008 04:30 PM: How ironic. You all want the parent to face jail time and then want to enlicit raising funds to help them bury their dead child that they neglected for 17 hours. They neglect their child, the child dies, and we pay for the funeral...something is wrong with this picture!


    AMANDA wrote on June 13, 2008 08:12 PM: there is a account set up in his name with wells fargo u can donate towards his funral also his sister is hosting a car wash on sat the 14th @ mini skool on bonanza and nellis starts @ 11 am to raise money for his funeral any and all donations will help out alot and ALL money will go for his funeral


    BigJohnson wrote on June 12, 2008 10:36 AM: Glenn: He wasn't even in a car seat.


    Amanda wrote on June 11, 2008 03:33 PM: i also would like to say i know the sister of the boy and ive herd alot about this family and the boy was disabled he just learned to walk a year ago and from what i know the mom always put him off on the other children its not there resposibility it her and the fathers


    Amanda wrote on June 11, 2008 03:28 PM: i think that the member of the church should not speak untill he knows the facts there are 10 children all together in the family all boys and one girl and the mother and father should both face jail time


    Kelly wrote on June 10, 2008 10:56 PM: kix, you're not the only one who had that same exact thought. I hate to pass judgement but it does make you think if this was a deliberate "accident".

    I hope the truth comes out and that this little boy gets his justice.


    kix wrote on June 10, 2008 10:42 PM: The cynic in me can't help but wonder if this child wasn't left in the car on purpose. Perhaps they were tired of caring for a mentally disabled child.


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