Mom leaves son, 5, at closed Dallas school
Good samaritan kept boy safe, returned him home
10:27 AM CST on Friday, December 9, 2005
By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News
Lashonda Lindsey had no idea leaving her 5-year-old son at school Thursday would lead to the scariest day of her life.
Unaware for several hours that she had left her son at a building that had been closed because of the icy weather, she eventually drew Dallas police, family and friends into a frantic search for the missing boy.
He finally was returned home in the afternoon by a schoolmate's mother who had found him.
Ms. Lindsey had watched TV reports the night before and didn't see DISD schools listed. She was running late Thursday morning and didn't check the cancellations again.
So she bundled up her son, Latarius, for the freezing cold and dropped him off at Elisha M. Pease Elementary School on mings Street in East Oak Cliff, where other parents were also dropping off students.
"I sat and waited for him to walk up the stairs and then pulled off," Ms. Lindsey said.
But the school was closed. Scared and confused, Latarius started walking toward Loop 12, trying to find his way home.
At the same time, an 8-year-old girl was pulling on the school's doors and found them locked. Her mother noticed Latarius wandering about and asked what he was doing.
"She tells the child: 'Come with me. I'll take care of you until we get you back to your mother,' " Dallas police Lt. Rick Watson said.
After a bit of persuasion, Latarius got into the woman's car. The good Samaritan tried to take him to his apartment, but no one was there.
So Latarius spent several hours with the woman and her daughter, eating hot dogs and playing hide-and-seek in their home.
Meanwhile, Ms. Lindsey, who had gone to a doctor's appointment, returned home about noon and noticed children playing in her neighborhood.
"My mind clicked," she said. "I went back to the school, but there were no cars there. ... I panicked."
She rounded up Latarius' father, her cousins and several friends to knock on countless doors looking for Latarius for two hours.
Several police officers scoured the neighborhood, and a police helicopter was launched.
"I felt like I was a bad parent. I felt like I was wrong because I couldn't explain to my baby, 'I'm sorry, I didn't know school was closed,' " Ms. Lindsey said.
"I thought when the police came back, they'd tell me my baby's body was found somewhere."
But the next knock on the door was from Ms. Lindsey's "angel," a woman she knows only as Sharika. Next to her was Latarius, confused but safe.
"My mama was crying because she was trying to find me," Latarius said.
Ms. Lindsey said she thanked the woman profusely for keeping her son safe.
"Thank God for her. When stuff like that happens, you think bad. These kids don't come back safe all the time."
Ms. Lindsey said she'll be more vigilant with her child on his way to school.
"Every time you drop your kids off, always walk them in, no matter what. Make sure they get into the school," she said. "People in the school can't be responsible for what happens to them if they never make it in."
How can you not notice the damn school closed, I guess there were other kids there.
So she bundled up her son, Latarius, for the freezing cold and dropped him off at Elisha M. Pease Elementary School on mings Street in East Oak Cliff, where other parents were also dropping off students.
Have had nightmares about doing things like that....
Oh snap...that's one to feel bad about all your life right there....mom....can I have a car.....NO....well what about the time you dropped me off at shcool and it was closed and I spent several hours with a stranger cause you left me....DAMMIT....ALRIGHT....
Thank God it was a decent person the kid got into the car with.
But I think the Good Samaritan should have called the cops to take the child home instead of persuading him to go with her.
The next time the kid goes with a stranger he might not fare so well.
I don't see how you can blame the mom. Other kids were there, she saw him walk up the stairs.
I agree the other woman maybe should have called the cops first.
Lashonda?????
, wonder what Kipp had to say about that
She Is so lucky the little one Is safe...
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