I feel that the punishment is a too harsh especially for a 12 year old. For infants and small children, it would be ok. I remember when I was 12 I sat in my parent's car when my parents were at the store even for an hour, and I enjoyed playing with the radio.
It was 95 degrees in Bensalem on Thursday so maybe that could be child endangerment, but a 12 year old should know how to start the AC and he could get out of the car and ask the Parx security guards to page his grandfather on the PA system.
Leaving your kid in a car in Pennsylvania is major -EV!
http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/09/03/news/doc4c81190f733fd113655620.txt
BENSALEM, Pa. — A Trenton grandfather’s arrest for leaving his 12-year-old grandson in a car while he gambled at the Parx Casino came only hours after two Bucks County lawmakers proposed making the offense a felony.
Alexander Salter Jr., 60, of Trenton’s St. Joe’s Avenue, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child after Pennsylvania Sen. Robert “Tommy’’ Tomlinson and Rep. Gene DiGirolamo introduced a law calling for tougher penalties.
If convicted of leaving a child unattended in a car under the current law, Salter is subject to a fine but no prison time. Under the proposed law, violators will be charged with a third-degree felony calling for 3 to 7 years in prison and a fine of $15,000.
Tomlinson and DiGirolamo said the measure is needed as a deterrent for gamblers who visit casinos and leave children behind in the parking lot. Since the casino opened earlier this year, there have been several incidents when adults left children unattended in the parking lot at Parx Casino.
“The public needs to understand that there are serious safety risks to children who are left in unattended vehicles,” Tomlinson said. “This bill will send a message that irresponsible behavior will not be tolerated and that offenders will face strong penalties.”
The lawmakers also said the Parx Casino has been cooperative and aggressive in combating these incidents. The casino has increased patrols, worked with Bensalem police to step up police presence, and established sanctions against offending customers.
Police in Bensalem said Salter left the boy in an SUV for about a half-hour while he gambled at the Parx Casino. Investigators say the car’s windows were down, but the boy had no water or keys.
Salter would not comment to reporters after he was released on bail at an arraignment in Bensalem.
It was 95 degrees in Bensalem on Thursday so maybe that could be child endangerment, but a 12 year old should know how to start the AC and he could get out of the car and ask the Parx security guards to page his grandfather on the PA system.
Leaving your kid in a car in Pennsylvania is major -EV!
http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2010/09/03/news/doc4c81190f733fd113655620.txt
BENSALEM, Pa. — A Trenton grandfather’s arrest for leaving his 12-year-old grandson in a car while he gambled at the Parx Casino came only hours after two Bucks County lawmakers proposed making the offense a felony.
Alexander Salter Jr., 60, of Trenton’s St. Joe’s Avenue, was charged with endangering the welfare of a child after Pennsylvania Sen. Robert “Tommy’’ Tomlinson and Rep. Gene DiGirolamo introduced a law calling for tougher penalties.
If convicted of leaving a child unattended in a car under the current law, Salter is subject to a fine but no prison time. Under the proposed law, violators will be charged with a third-degree felony calling for 3 to 7 years in prison and a fine of $15,000.
Tomlinson and DiGirolamo said the measure is needed as a deterrent for gamblers who visit casinos and leave children behind in the parking lot. Since the casino opened earlier this year, there have been several incidents when adults left children unattended in the parking lot at Parx Casino.
“The public needs to understand that there are serious safety risks to children who are left in unattended vehicles,” Tomlinson said. “This bill will send a message that irresponsible behavior will not be tolerated and that offenders will face strong penalties.”
The lawmakers also said the Parx Casino has been cooperative and aggressive in combating these incidents. The casino has increased patrols, worked with Bensalem police to step up police presence, and established sanctions against offending customers.
Police in Bensalem said Salter left the boy in an SUV for about a half-hour while he gambled at the Parx Casino. Investigators say the car’s windows were down, but the boy had no water or keys.
Salter would not comment to reporters after he was released on bail at an arraignment in Bensalem.
