Good Grief

I think they should put the children and the puppies up for adoption, then call the ASPCA and put the parents down.

MANTECA, Calif. (AP) -- A married couple who got a dog sitter for their puppies but left the man's young children home alone while they vacationed in Las Vegas were arrested Wednesday, police said.

Jacob Calero, 39, and Michelle De La Vega, 32, were taken into custody as they arrived home on a flight to Oakland. They had left town Friday to celebrate the new year, authorities said.

The couple apparently told 9-year-old Joshua to look after his 5-year-brother, Jason, who is autistic. The children spent one night alone before police found them.

Joshua said his father and stepmother got each other puppies for Christmas, which they brought to De La Vega's mother to care for before leaving town.

Comments

[sigmund, carl and alfred]

I'll bet the idiots blew their money the first night they got to Vegas.

We need to revisit the idea of mandatory sterilization.

[klrclsr]

And the police made the first phone call to the father on Saturday and he didn't bother to return the phone call until Tuesday.
The 9 year old said he thought that his dad liked the puppies more than him.
What a bunch of losers!

[jadensmokes]

I'll say it yet once again: Why is it you have to have a license to drive a car, but any friggin idiot can breed children?

[bizarre]

Dan, you made me laugh out loud with your first sentence. This is so serious, I do not understand why people do not realize that you are not obligated to sire children. If you don't want them, don't have them but don't abuse them emotionally like these two did. The sad part is there are countless couples paying oodles of money to try and have even one child. They are the ones reading this story and seething with anger. People never cease to amaze me.

[afmomx3]

I have written the Governor;
We must take a stand to ensure the welfare of our children. Generations to come deserve our attention to ensure the safety of all.
jmho

afmomx3

[suzyqueue]

We need to revisit the idea of mandatory sterilization.

Posted by: sigmund, carl and alfred | Jan 5, 2006 4:19:11 PM

We need to revisit the idea of mandatory PUBLIC sterilization.

[brent]

I bet these so called parents are proud members of Peta and I am sure the ACLU will fight for their freedom. I will not be surprised if some Democrats from California back the ACLU on keeping these parents out of jail.

[Mel]

One more indication of the mindset that is becoming paramount in our society of "I deserve this and I want it NOW and my happiness trumps everything else." We're seeing this sort of misplaced priorities time and time again in the news. This is the direct result of "feel good" politics that force schools to cater to the idi(ot)eology of never making kids feel bad and encouring them to want immediate self-gratification without consequences, thus producing "adults" like Calero and De La Vega.

[Marga]

I can't believe the so called "grandma" isn't questioned. The fact that she didn't just drive there instead of calling the police 10 hours after she found out the boys are home alone is a big BIG question of her character.

It makes me wonder if she has some sort of vendetta going on for her ex--son-in-law. There's this tone of resentment, she just can't help repeating her "poor" daughter died and she remarried.

Is vendetta a reason enough to use your grandkids as pawns?

[Lisa]

It's sad that two people are not given a fair trial. Thanks to people jumping into conclusions and who believed the eccentric hateful grandma/es-mother-in-law, a "no contest" plea is the only way for them. Even the DA says this result is the, "grandaddy of all misjudgement". Again, unjustice has prevailed.