Should the crime include "kidnapping"?

Kudos to local law enforcement, but never leave your children alone in a car.

@historyguy

Seriously? Never leave a 13 and 7 year old alone in a car? Wow.

Wow how scary for the girls and mom. Well done officers for wrapping up this case in 30 minutes!!

Yes it’s kidnapping if he took a car with children inside even if he released them. And yes you can leave a 13 year old in the car while you go in the store.

But why would you leave the keys in the car?

I don't know why people are trying to justify auto theft and attempted kidnapping.

Never leave your kids or your keys in the car. It's common sense. Insurance will cover a stolen vehicle. Risking the life of your children should be against your better judgment. Even if they're old enough to be left alone (13) it's not worth it. Ask any family whose children were left in the vehicle and never returned home. Wise up.

You can leave your 13 year old in a car but leaving the keys is probably not a good idea unless maybe you hand them to the 13 year in the back and tell them to keep the car locked. 13 years old, folks. A teenager, 2 1/2 years from actually driving a car.

The google view of that intersection shows a police car leading the pack. Just concidence, I'm sure. Anybody who has a driver's license carrying those without one should never leave those occupants with the car running or the keys in it. But I wouldn't blame the victim. They are probably very glad the kids are safe and the car has been found. Its positive outcome overrides making a mistake IMO.

You can't "override" child endangerment laws. Nor can children be replaced. Making excuses for poor judgment is ignorant. Thankfully, the kids are safe, but they were forced out of the car. That can be traumatizing to young children, depending on the child. Unbelievable.

Jennifer it seems like reading articles like this re-ignite some kind of past trauma. Now you are suggesting the driver be charged with child endangerment? The fact the kids are OK is an OVERRIDING FACTOR. Not only were they not harmed, but they had the wherewithal to get free of a potentially really horrifying outcome. But you want to drag the owner of the car off to prison to achieve ... what exactly would it achieve? I'm so hopeful you aren't a family judge. I'm pretty sure the kids will need lots of therapy after criminalizing the driver.

In some states leaving children in the vehicle (at any age) is against the law. In CA, it's under six. Making excuses for a parent because the kids are okay "this time" is like making excuses for a drunk driver who didn't hit and kill someone "this time." Quit enabling irresponsible behavior. It's flaky.

I don't write the laws. I just vote.

Suspect description?

Obviously you don't write laws. You know nothing about the driver. Neither do I. But if she becomes incarcerated after being victim to a crime, there will be at least 2 children that we know of who will have to get shoved "into the system" for the duration. The driver and the kids, as far as I know, went home without being arrested or taken into CPS custody. You likely have no idea what it takes to get your kids back when you haven't even committed a crime. Keeping families together is the job of Family Law judges. Strict minimums and harsh sentences are being re-examined all the time. You do have an option, however. You can try to make a citizens' arrest. If you think the victim incited the crime, go for it. Build a case. Or, during a hearing for the criminal who jacked the car, appear and tell the judge you want the victim arrested for having taken part in the carjacking where her car was stolen. Come back and tell us the date you're gonna be there. I will bring the popcorn.

Is there a way to keep the heat on in the car without leaving the key in the ignition?

I feel very strongly about responsible parenting. If you bring your kids to the store, you bring them inside. Kids are left intentionally (and unintentionally) in vehicles all the time. There have been too many cases that led to death. Parents are warned over and over and over again, and too many parents don't get it. All parents make mistakes. Most mistakes don't endanger the life of their children. I hope she learned a valuable lesson.

@Ryan - Francisco Reynoso was arrested by police.

Some 13 year olds are as big as an adult. They may not be as mature as an adult, but they can be the size of an adult and with a quick glance, could be mistaken as an adult.

These children in the car should have been safe. Nobody expects a car to be stolen in the few minutes it takes to run to the store. If instead of children, there was an elderly person or just someone who was left in the car for those few minutes, would that have made a difference to this car robbery? I doubt it. When the car was entered by the person planning to steal it the fact that the car was occupied made little difference. Whether there was an adult or a couple of children in the car, it was not noticed until after the car had been entered.

This is rightly a kidnapping. The parent did nothing wrong leaving a 13 year old in the car. It could easily have been a grandparent or the spouse of the driver who was in the car.

Is it illegal to leave your kids in a car?

"The worst thing that could happen from leaving a child in a vehicle are injuries and death. In addition, parents, guardians and caretakers could face criminal charges, such as child abuse, child endangerment, reckless behavior and more.

Currently nearly 20 states have laws that make it illegal to leave a child unattended in a vehicle."

TAKEAWAY

"Never leave your child alone in the car. What may seem like a quick trip inside could become delayed and may cause you to leave them in the vehicle longer than you attended. While taking your child out of the car may add a few minutes to your errand, it will protect them from injury and may even save their life."

How sad that this has to be explained to anyone who raised children. Parenting classes are taught for a reason. And so many parents need them.

Jennifer you don't have a strong enough case to bring it to a judge to demand the driver be sent to prison. If you did, you would. But you are always ready with your timeout chair and "stare at the wall and think about what you've done until you're 44". Those tactics have never worked. Take those laws you're citing and bring it to court when the perpetrator is standing in front of the judge. Tell the judge, "This man is innocent. The real criminal is the one who went into the store without taking the kids."

Wisely, Bystander has mentioned that no matter the age of the passengers, the case is one of kidnapping. Not a case of driver neglect.

But here you go, citing State laws pertaining to leaving a kid in a car. You said 20 states have laws about them without citing CA's legislation: Web Link At the top of CA's laws says the following: a)A parent, legal guardian, or other person responsible for a child who is 6 years of age or younger may not leave that child inside a motor vehicle without being subject to the supervision of a person who is 12 years of age or older" The older child was 13. There was no crime. Stop beating the driver with your stick.

I never said it was against the law in CA, nor did I say anything about a mother going to prison. Those are YOUR words. It is a case of kidnapping. If you bring your kids (at any age) with you, there is no one to kidnap. This was preventable.

It should be illegal to leave you kids in the car at any age in ALL 50 states. 19 states have the protection of children in mind, and 31 states are failing our kids. Just because it's not a law in CA doesn't make it right. Children are children regardless of geography. Bringing your children with you is common sense, and too many people lack it.

I have the protection of children in mind, and if you want to be irresponsible - have at it.

At 13 years of age, many children are babysitting at home for an hour or so during the day. Of course, there could be a fire, an earthquake or a break in. At 13 years of age, children are riding their bikes alone to school, to sports, to friends homes. At 13 years of age, many children are sent on errands by the parents to buy bread, or something urgently needed for dinner. At 13 years of age, children are adolescents. At 13 years of age, children should be learning skills that prepare them for being adults at age 18. In fact many children are out driving with their license at 16.

There is an attitude of wrapping children in bubble wrap to protect them. Then, at a certain stage, they are expected to act like responsible adults even if they have not had the experience of learning valuable life lessons to prepare them for adulthood.

I think 13 might be too young to leave a child at home overnight with a younger sibling. But I don't think 13 too young to leave a child at home for an hour or so during the day in charge of their own wellbeing or that of a younger sibling. We have to prepare our young teens for being responsible and that does mean leaving them in a safe place for short periods of time. It could be called trust. It could be called good parenting. It could be called many things, but irresponsible is not one of them.

Over-reactions like thinking one can never leave any children alone in a car for any time at all are what prompted the "free range children" movement in recent decades. My brother and I were left in the car as (young) teenagers all the time growing up and it still seems reasonable to me.

In today's society you can't leave anything in the car because vehicle burglaries are very common. It's naive and ignorant to think that leaving a child as young as seven isn't irresponsible. Some people are victimized on a regular basis, while others go through life never being victimized. You either get it or you don't.

It's not an "over-reaction." It's common sense and good judgment. As well as responsible parenting. Anything could happen, including carjacking.

At home is a different story. You're not in public. Older children watch over younger siblings and baby-sit all the time. It teaches a child responsibility. In public you're a SITTING DUCK. That's the difference.

If you want to disagree that it's DANGEROUS to leave a child alone in a car, that's your choice. Criminals are opportunists, and without an opportunity, there is no crime. Good luck.

Too late to back out now, Jennifer. You inferred that the driver had been errant for going into a store without taking the kids and then you cited 20 states where it's illegal to do so. So I cited the California law since you pointed out that it exists, and the fact is that as long as someone 13 years old or older is present, it is NOT child endangerment. Then you backed up and said there are 19 states with endangerment laws, so I guess now you're including California as one of the states where they are failing "our kids". How many of those kids are yours? Just asking because you seem invested in the wellbeing of children all over the country. Where do you stand as far as women who show skin in Iran? Does the punishment go far enough to satisfy you? Is arrest, prison, public flogging and even a death sentence good enough? Why stop at the US border? Oh yeah that's right, you don't write laws you just vote. What was your vote, exactly, when the CA child endangerment laws were being written?

As Bystander has pointed out, many 13 year olds are mature enough to handle all kinds of responsibilities. So you up the ante and say you can't leave ANYTHING in a car, and kids are ONLY safe at home. Saying that "Criminals are opportunists, and without an opportunity, there is no crime" sounds a little bit to me like saying "if we could just stop being born, we can stop becoming victims." Not every criminal is an opportunist. There are many, many examples of crimes that occur without much thought beforehand. But lest that thought incite you to further advancement of what a dangerous species the human has become, try to just let it go.

I stand my ground and I agree with the experts. NEVER leave your child in a vehicle at any age. The risks outweigh the benefits. If you don't understand this, oh well.

@Online Name, I had an old Chrysler that, if the key was jiggled just right, it could be removed leaving the car and heater running. Other than that I've never heard of it being possible.

Now with keyless ignition (my car only, I can't state facts about a car other than my own) it is possible to let it run and lock the car from the fob outside the car. However, I tried it once and the car was very resistant to open the door for me with the fob. There's also an emergency metal key built into the fob for cases when there's no power or the sensors have taken a turn for the worse. More trouble I don't want to experiment with unless I'm at a dealership.